NEW!

PARASITES: the 

importance of nurse-led 

clinics, etc. – pages 18-21 

ORTHOPAEDICS: gait 

assessment in dogs, etc. 

– pages 26-29 

LIVESTOCK: first UK 

sheep and goat dairy 

conference – pages 32-33 

MANAGEMENT: what 

was said at SPVS-VPMA 

congress – pages 36-38 

Learn More 

About Raw 

FREE educational 

support available 

Try our ‘Lunch & 

Learn’ or FREE ‘Raw 

Consultation Course’ 

FULLY REFRESHED Volume 48 Number 1 MARCH 2016 

To arrange your introductory ‘Lunch & Learn’ 

Call us today 0800 0183770 

WITH the first Veterinary Practice 

CPD event of the year – VetsSouth 

2016 – now past, it’s time to look at 

what’s in store at VetsNorth 2016 at 

the A. J. Bell Stadium on 22nd and 

23rd June. 

This fifth 

Manchester 

Veterinary 

Congress 

has another 

line-up 

of top speakers, including several 

first-timers – Pip Boydell (neuroophthalmology), 

Ben Walton 

(orthopaedics), Sarah Heath 

(behaviour) and Georgie Hollis 

(wound management); some 

returning after a break – Rachel 

Burrow (soft tissue surgery) and 

Professors Laura Blackwood (oncology) 

and John Innes (orthopaedics); 

and others returning by popular 

demand after last year – Sue 

Paterson, Anthony Chadwick 

and David Grant (dermatology) 

and Bob Partridge (dentistry). 

Plus, Professor John Cooper and 

wife Margaret are speaking in the 

main streams on exotics as well as 

running one of their remarkable 

workshops on lab investigations. In 

addition, Alison Lambert is leading 

a day-long management stream and 

the VDS is running its consultation 

training. 

The full programme is on page 11 

with a booking form on page 12; or 

see it all on www.vetsnorth.com. 

Full house at VetsSouth 

“Worth flying down from Aberdeen”, “The best CPD 

conference available”, “Best congress I’ve attended in 

my 17 years in practice”, “Keep up the fab work” – just 

four of the many comments received from delegates at VetsSouth 2016 in Exeter last month, which drew nearly 

300 veterinary surgeons and nurses from right across the country for two days of top-notch CPD. The photos show 

an imaging lecture in progress and diners enjoying the hot buffet lunch. For more, turn to page 13. 

Fewer veterinarians but more nurses 

seeking election to councils 

EIGHT candidates are contesting 

six places in this year’s election for 

the RCVS Council and six veterinary 

nurses are contesting two places in the 

VN Council election. Last year 11 vets 

and three nurses stood for election. 

Those standing for the RCVS 

Council include four sitting members 

eligible for re-election and four new 

candidates. The sitting members are: 

Chris Barker, Amanda Boag and 

Professor Stephen May (all first elected 

in 2012) and Dr Kit Sturgess. 

The new candidates are Dr Melissa 

Donald, Lucie Goodwin, Dr Cheryl 

Scudamore and Tom Lonsdale. Mr 

Lonsdale has stood for the past 19 

years, coming a distant last each time. 

Two sitting members not seeking 

re-election are past-president Dr Barry 

Johnson who has served a total of 

28 years on the Council and Richard 

Stephenson who is standing down after 

eight years. 

Candidates for the VN Council 

are Stacey Bullock, Racheal Marshall, 

Wendy Nevins, Matthew Rendle, 

Samantha Thompson and Helen 

Tottey. 

Ballot papers and candidates’ details 

will be sent to veterinary surgeons and 

nurses eligible to vote during the week 

commencing 14th March and voting, 

either online or by post, closes at 5pm 

on 29th April. 

Those elected will serve four-year 

terms starting on RCVS Day in July. 

IN THIS ISSUE 

Mercury 4 

Cross-words 6 

U907 - Veterinary Practice Earpiece Advert - CPD Course.indd 1 15/07/2015 15:36 

Periscope 8 

Perambulations 10 

Correspondence 14 

CPD: rabies 22 

The 

College is 

inviting 

members 

of both 

professions 

to quiz the 

Dr Barry Johnson: 28 

candidates 

years on the Council. 

by putting 

their questions directly to all those 

standing for election. Each candidate 

will be invited to choose two questions 

from those received and produce a 

video recording of their answers; the 

recordings will be published on the 

RCVS website on 17th March. 

Nursing 24 

Dermatology 30 

Conservation 34 

Last words 39 

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VP MARCH 2016 STARTING POINT 3 

Forecast for global 

animal health market 

MARKET research firm Research and Markets has published a report entitled 

“Global Animal Healthcare Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and 

Demand Forecast to 2020”. 

The animal healthcare market is categorised (1) on the basis of product as 

pharmaceuticals, feed additives, and vaccines and (2) on the basis of animal type, 

as companion animals and production animals. The key drivers in the market, it 

says, are the increasing global consumption of meat and milk, growing trend of 

pet adoption, and “up surging” zoonotic and food-borne diseases. 

The report notes that due to the increasing demand for meat and milk, the 

production animal population is increasing, which in turn increases the demand 

of feed additives. “The pharmaceuticals market segment is also growing at a 

significant rate, due to increasing occurrences of animal diseases, which has upsurged 

the concerns of pet and animal farm-owners.” 

It also notes that due to the increasing consumption of animal protein, the 

global animal population has increased considerably in the past few years. 

Increasing per capita income has led to the growth of animal protein consumption 

globally, which has resulted in the increased demand of animal healthcare 

products for production animals. 

For more information, see www.researchandmarkets.com/research/3mpp9j/ 

global_animal. 

Largest buying group sells to US firm 

MWI Animal Health, a part of AmerisourceBergen, has bought the St Francis 

Group, believed to be the UK’s largest animal health buying group and which has 

more than 460 member practices. The company already owns Centaur Services 

and Vetswest. 

“At MWI, we’re focused on providing independent veterinary practices with 

the tools and resources they need to thrive in a competitive animal health 

marketplace,” said James F. Cleary, Jr., president of MWI Animal Health. 

“St Francis Group is dedicated to this same mission and we believe that adding 

the resources of AmerisourceBergen to their existing expertise and tools will 

further strengthen the impact they’re able to create for their members.” 

Alan White, managing director of St Francis Group, commented, “We look 

forward to working with MWI and AmerisourceBergen to further expand our 

capabilities with the goal of providing even greater value to current and future 

members of St Francis Group.” 

Sixth branch for York practice 

Minster Veterinary Practice of York has taken 

over the lease of a former flooring shop at 

Tower Court Shopping Arcade at Clifton Moor, 

York, and opened its sixth surgery there at the 

end of February. It has two consulting rooms, a 

waiting room and spacious reception and was 

converted at a cost of £30,000. The new clinic 

is half way between Minster’s main practice 

on Salisbury Road and its Haxby surgery and, 

says director Rob Williams (pictured), will help 

clients avoid rush-hour traffic congestion. 

£1 million hospital opened in Glasgow 

The Roundhouse 

Veterinary Hospital, part 

of the Pets’n’Vets group in 

Glasgow, was opened last 

month. The £1 million, 

7,500 square foot facility 

on the Auldhouse Retail 

Park at Pollokshaws has 

separate cat and dog 

waiting and consultation 

rooms, two sterile 

theatres with a separate 

scrub area, a designated dental theatre, large preparation area and stateof-the-art 

diagnostic suites. Partner Oliver Jackson says the hospital has 

been designed “to deliver the whole suite of pet care services, from nail 

clipping to vaccinations to some of the most complex surgical veterinary 

procedures, and provides these services locally, at sensible cost and to the 

highest clinical standards”. Pets’n’Vets was named “Glasgow’s Favourite 

Business 2015” in a public vote organised by the Glasgow Chamber of 

Commerce and the Evening Times for the Glasgow Business Awards. 

PICTOPUZZLE 

Follow: vpeditor 

Editorial and design: 

Editor: David Ritchie 

BA, HonAssocRCVS 

(editor@veterinary-practice.com) 

Editorial consultant: 

John Tandy, BVSc, MRCVS 

Design: Cascade Design 

Printing: Buxton Press 

Say what you see. It’s 

a pretty easy one this 

month, because from the 

next issue we’re ramping 

up the difficulty a bit 

and offering a... wait for 

it... prize draw! This is 

the last time you’ll find 

the answer on page 4... 

Veterinary Practice (ISSN: 0042-4897) is an 

independent monthly publication for members of 

the veterinary profession in the UK. It is free to 

veterinary surgeons in practice. It is available on 

subscription: UK is £40 per year, Europe is £90 

per year and the rest of the world is £120 per year. 

Advertising enquiries: 

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(davidk@veterinary-practice.com) 

Telephone 07961 086856 

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Telephone 01932 563595 

This and past editions of Veterinary Practice can be read online in PDF form at 

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our website – www.veterinary-practice.com – and complete the form. You can 

also download our free VP+ app from the Apple and Google Play stores. 

© VP Publishing Ltd (2016): no part of this publication may be reproduced in any 

form (except for review purposes) without the express permission of the editor. 

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4 COMMENT VP MARCH 2016 

The importance of 

the team should be 

paramount… 

THE WORLD IS CLEARLY 

CHANGING! On the world stage, 

things are developing in ways which 

cause concern to those of us who 

prefer the quieter waters of the middle 

stream, leaving extreme sports and 

extreme politics 

to others with 

more need for a 

challenge than I 

can demonstrate. 

Just five years 

ago, who would 

have thought 

that a Mediterranean cruise would 

bring you within touching distance of 

tens of thousands of people fleeing 

their own countries or that countless 

millions of American voters could 

vote to put into the White House a 

candidate who, on the face of it, could 

THE MERCURY COLUMN 

in which a guest columnist 

takes the temperature of 

the profession – and the 

world around 

set back the causes of racial and gender 

equality by light years? 

The reality is that our world is being 

driven by self-interest; no one treks 

across Europe in search of a better 

life without a measure of desperation, 

particularly when it is obvious that 

Europe is not the hospitable haven 

they might have imagined and that 

at every border the message is clear: 

whatever the politicians say, we don’t 

really want you here. 

The message is the same in the 

heartland of the US, voters are rallying 

around protectionist rhetoric and, 

even though disinformation and racial 

intolerance are ill-placed to remedy the 

home-grown economic challenges that 

have built up over decades, people so 

want to find a leader. 

In Europe, the drive away from 

macro-government 

towards 

localisation and 

micro-government 

seems unstoppable 

and the decision 

to devolve power 

from the centre 

to the regions has been as urgently 

adopted here at home as anywhere else. 

One pities the doctors who, despite 

having received only as much business 

training as the veterinary profession, 

now find themselves responsible for the 

day-to-day running of the NHS. That 

seems to make as much sense as local 

vets running DEFRA although, come 

to think of it… 

Perhaps the issue here is one 

of responsibility. Throughout our 

childhood, each one of us was schooled 

in the understanding that one should 

own up to wrong-doing and that it was 

our individual duty to take responsibility 

for ourselves and our own actions. 

Somewhere along the way we 

seem to have lost sight of that in a 

collective sense. Ours seems to have 

become something of a blame-culture 

with countless parents devolving 

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acute peritonitis and features two new chapters on 

laparoscopic instrumentation/surgery and urinary 

incontinence. This extensively revised and updated 

second edition includes practical information, 

illustrations and images, along with step-by-step 

operative techniques with information on patient 

positioning and preparation, instrumentation and 

post-operative management for a variety of procedures. 

John Williams commented: “As editors of this latest edition, Jacqui and I 

have had the privilege of being able to work with experts in their respective 

fields to produce a practical guide packed full of the latest developments 

in abdominal surgical techniques that will be useful to the whole veterinary 

profession.” 

Copies can be purchased via the BSAVA website, www.bsava.com, or by 

calling 01452 726700. Price is £79. New manuals will also be unveiled at the 

BSAVA congress in Birmingham from 7th to 10th April. 

responsibility for their 

children’s education to 

the teachers and the 

schools, or to the fast 

food manufacturers 

for maintaining our 

healthy diet. 

We seem to have a natural, and 

uncanny, ability to compartmentalise 

information according to its palatability; 

we have, collectively, made smokers into 

pariahs yet, even though we know the 

dangers of alcohol and of sugar, these 

seem only to represent a problem for 

somebody else. 

In my own case, I still see a display 

of chocolate bars as being a harmless 

pastiche of comparatively innocent 

pleasure and my nightly consumption 

of half a bottle of red wine is pretty 

normal, isn’t it? 

Of course, we’ve seized on EBM 

which makes everything all right as 

we can deftly slide the responsibility 

for more or less any decision onto 

whomever published a bit of research 

we particularly favour. 

Of course, EBM is much more 

robust than that, if used properly, 

but we fool ourselves if we think it’s 

a lasting solution – the concept may 

well be lasting but the evidence keeps 

changing and, with the best will in the 

world, consumers find it hard to accord 

trust to someone who, in their eyes, 

blows with the wind. 

Blame culture 

Sadly, a blame-led culture will always 

throw up a climate where people 

actively seek someone else to blame 

and, to some extent, this has spawned 

a dubious industry where certain 

individuals make a living out of seeking 

damages for events varying from motor 

accidents or wrongful dismissal but, in 

the main, most people act sensibly, if 

not responsibly. 

There is something about herd 

activity that leads the most sensible 

among us into areas where otherwise 

we might not have ventured, and crowd 

behaviour, such as speeding at 90mph 

in the outside lane of the motorway, 

often encourages similar behaviour in 

otherwise sensible people. 

Human psychology is immensely 

complex and consumer behavioural 

patterns may often reflect cause and 

effect from the least likely places. 

A recent study by Independent Vet 

Care into the way we use veterinary 

nurses has highlighted the ambitions 

and frustrations of a large group of 

veterinary nurses with the altogether 

not unexpected revelation that “there 

are more reasons to leave the profession 

than to stay; with money, recognition, 

hours and expectations being the main 

reasons” why at least one respondent 

deliberated long and hard about leaving 

her chosen profession. 

The BVA has recognised the need 

to champion the training, skills and 

work that produce excellent VNs but 

the missing piece of the puzzle seems 

to me to be the omission of the vital 

recognition that nurses are, in the 

main, better communicators and are 

frequently more in tune with and able to 

talk persuasively with clients. 

If nurses are not, currently, being 

used to their full potential, that is a 

worrying trend both for the day-to-day 

activities within the practice but for 

the relationship that exists between 

practices and both existing and potential 

clients. 

If, as it appears, these VNs do not 

enjoy the respect of vets within their 

practices then this would also flag up a 

woeful lack of recognition of the way in 

which our clients see the practices they 

choose to support. 

In the end, while they may be highly 

dependent on the advice provided 

by the vets, all too often it will be the 

nurses who give them the confidence, 

and often the skills, to put that advice 

into practice. 

We should not underestimate the 

value that nurses can contribute to the 

development of brand equity in our 

practices and, in that sentence, I may 

have encapsulated the problem; no 

amount of veterinary skill will shape 

the practice development without 

recognition, by the public, of the 

cohesion and competence of the team. 

As most of us know, veterinary 

heroism is fine on television but, in 

real life, the importance of the team 

is paramount. If we fail to recognise 

the value of those team members 

and allow them to feel patronised and 

under-valued, that may well be crowd 

behaviour at its most damaging. 

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6 CROSS-WORDS VP MARCH 2016 

Figuring out the new insurance map 

THEY SAY A PICTURE IS 

WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, 

and as I have a large picture (the map) 

for you to look at this month and a 

thousand-word limit, I won’t be writing 

as much this month. Please spend the 

time you would normally spend reading 

a thousand words looking at the map 

and considering 

its implications. 

Sales of 

pet insurance 

premiums 

are static yet 

according to the 

ABI, pet insurers 

paid out 15% 

more in claims 

for 2014 than in the previous year – 

£602 million or £1.65 million a day. 

Rising claims costs over recent years 

are now threatening the sustainability 

of affordable pet insurance provision. 

To address this, RSA has created a 

network of referral practices. 

The map shows the current 

distribution of practices on the RSA 

referral network. If you have a client 

who has insurance with RSA (i.e. More 

Than, Tesco, M&S, John Lewis, Argos 

and Homebase pet insurance) and you, 

as their primary vet, want to refer a 

case, you need to send it to somewhere 

on the map or if you do not the client 

will have to pay an additional £200 on 

top of excess. This map does not show 

different types of centre; most are 

multidisciplinary but not all. 

I want you all to ponder this really 

from the point of view of fairness 

to the client and patient with respect 

to simple geography. And I am 

writing here about RSA, but this is a 

concept that needs to be considered 

for any policy regarding referrals and 

veterinary services. 

VETERINARY PRACTICE 

GARETH CROSS 

continues his look 

at the controversial 

new RSA insurance 

scheme and what 

he sees as a geographical and 

financial imbalance 

Have a look at the map and see what 

you think about pets insured with RSA 

policies who need referral and live 

somewhere like West Wales, or North 

Devon, or Cumbria, Lincoln… you get 

the idea. Their first opinion vets there 

will have existing relationships with 

local referral centres in these areas, 

some remote 

(e.g. West 

Wales), some 

just remote 

to the RSA 

network (e.g. 

Lincoln). 

How can 

it be fair that 

these patients 

and clients are penalised £200 for not 

living near an RSA centre? This map 

is just the overall plot of centres. If 

we narrow it down further, let’s look 

at the south-west where I live as an 

example. The only centre is St David’s 

for orthopaedic only. If you drop a line 

south from Weston-super-Mare there 

is not a single referral centre on the 

network other than one orthopaedic 

centre. 

Penalty shots 

If a vet in Bude in North Cornwall 

wants to refer a chronic eye case to the 

Diploma holder in South Devon (one 

hour-ish away), the client will now face 

a £200 penalty to do this or have to go 

to Bristol (three hours away). 

Similarly a vet in Truro may usually 

send a non-emergency heart case to the 

peripatetic service in Wadebridge (onehour 

drive) – their client now will have 

to pay £200 extra to do this or face a 

drive to Bristol (three to four hours). 

This is another case of a human 

medicine model (or indeed car accident 

repair model) being forced on the 

AS SEEN BY STEVE LONG 

veterinary infrastructure. I 

have a lot of sympathy for 

RSA wanting to control 

costs (as do most primary 

care vets), but why a 

simple maximum price per 

procedure framework isn’t 

used I do not understand. 

This system of 

penalising clients for using 

the “wrong” centre and 

intervention into existing 

referral relationships 

(between first opinion 

and referral vets) does not 

seem to me to be the right 

way to do it. 

I put this to RSA and I 

will quote some of their 

reply below: 

“Once the Preferred Referral 

Network has been completed, we will 

issue a map, fully detailing where our 

partners are. That said we are aware 

that for regions such as West Wales 

and Cumbria there are far fewer 

referral centres, so customers could see 

extended travel times in these regions, 

but again we are happy to review on a 

case by case basis, taking a pragmatic 

approach, with our customers at 

the heart of our final decision. You 

mention specific geographical gaps and 

we recognise that this is an excellent 

example of where the case by case 

basis would apply until the successful 

appointment of a network partner… 

we will discuss this directly with the 

customer on a case by case basis and 

apply a pragmatic approach to decide 

whether the customer may need to pay 

towards the referral practice bill. 

“We note your comments on price 

per procedure and it is possible that 

in the future, like human private 

medical care, this may become the 

industry standard. However, we 

wanted to work within the current 

models of pet insurance offered 

by us and our competitors, so our 

customers can continue to make a 

direct comparison about the value 

of the insurance they are purchasing, 

which is why we chose the option of a 

preferred referral network instead. This 

approach also has the added benefit 

of insurance not standing in the way 

of the development of medicine and 

treatments by capping available funds. 

“Existing customers will be made 

aware of the changes as and when their 

policy reaches its renewal. We are not 

making any changes mid policy. We 

have kept the FCA fully up to speed 

throughout our Network roll-out with 

regular updates.” 

Open to negotiation 

If you do live in one of the gaps on 

the maps, please be aware then that 

the RSA may be open to negotiation 

about the £200 fee with the client. 

Also none of this refers to emergency 

referrals. Many non-RSA referral 

centres have also told me that they will 

refund the £200 to the client anyway – 

that will really help with overall claim 

inflation… 

Thanks to colleagues who responded 

to my e-mail on this earlier in the 

month. Let us hope that one prediction 

from our old friend Disgruntled from 

Staffordshire does not come true: 

“They are trying to treat sick pets like 

damaged cars. I am just wondering 

when they are actually going to start 

to tell the under-insured clients to 

consider euthanasia? From their point 

of view it’s the next logical step. 

Writing off what cannot be fixed and 

minimising losses.” 

I’m looking for the RSA Referral Network Map... 

Preferred referral list extended 

THE following practices have joined the “preferred referral network” set up 

by RSA (these were not included in the list published in the January edition 

of Veterinary Practice). 

• Anderson Abercromby Veterinary Referrals of Ockley, Surrey. 

• Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, Suffolk. 

• Crown Vets Referrals, Inverness. 

• Langford Veterinary Services, Langford, Bristol. 

• Oakwood Veterinary Referrals, Hartford, Cheshire. 

• University Of Cambridge Queens School Veterinary Hospital, Madingley 

Road, Cambridge. 

• Vale Referrals, Stinchcombe, Dursley, Glos.

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8 PERISCOPE VP MARCH 2016 

Why empowering 

veterinary nurses is 

good for everyone 

I HAVE WRITTEN BEFORE 

ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE 

OF VETERINARY NURSES to 

the profession. The time seems right 

to return to the subject in the light of 

results from a recent survey carried 

out by VNs working for the company 

Independent Vetcare. 

The survey appears to show that 

a large number of those nurses 

questioned feel underused and 

undervalued, with not enough respect 

shown by vets for what they do. This 

isn’t just disturbing; in my view it is 

very sad too. 

Qualifying as a VN is a difficult 

goal to reach. So anyone who has 

managed to achieve both the academic 

requirements and the practical skills is 

worthy of a great deal of respect from 

everyone, and in particular from vets. 

Of course there will always be some 

vets who look down on VNs as little 

more than glorified kennel assistants, 

but in my experience that type of vet 

tends to look down on everybody and 

usually has an unshakeable belief in 

their own ability and infallibility. 

They have the same attitude to 

assistant vets too and having listened to 

some of them on numerous occasions 

bemoaning the fact that they can’t 

find and keep the right type of staff, I 

marvel that they can’t take a step back 

and see the obvious reason why. I once 

PERISCOPE 

continues the series of 

reflections on issues of 

current concern 

tried to enlighten someone and nearly 

lost a friend as a result, so now I keep 

my own counsel and just murmur in a 

non-committed fashion. 

It appears that one of the reasons 

for VNs feeling so undervalued is that 

they are rarely given opportunities 

to do some of the tasks they are 

permitted to do such as stitch-ups 

and lump removals. This is a shame 

though I can see why this might come 

about in that often the vet is needed to 

administer the anaesthetic and so they 

may as well then get on and finish the 

job. 

VNs, like people in all walks of 

life, are a varied bunch. There are the 

incredibly gifted; the plodders; and a 

BVOA pre-congress meeting 

in Birmingham next month 

THE next meeting of the British 

Veterinary Orthopaedic Association is on 

pre-BSAVA congress day on Wednesday 

6th April at the Birmingham Hilton 

Metropole at the NEC, from 9am to 

5.30pm. 

The theme is Regenerative medicine 

and orthopaedic conundrums and the day 

will include clinical research abstracts and the presentation of the Lesley 

Vaughan Prize, along with the BVOA AGM. Attendees can also get Thursday 

exhibition passes for the BSAVA congress. Speakers include Dr David 

Mason, Dr Turlough O’Neill and Dr Michael Farrell. The fee for the day is 

£115 for BVOA members and £140 for non-members. 

For details and to register go to www.bsavaportal.com/bvoa/Home.aspx. 

Spring meeting on pododermatitis 

THE British Veterinary Dermatology Study Group 2016 Spring Meeting will 

be held on 6th April at the Crowne Plaza, Birmingham. 

On the theme of pododermatitis, speakers Mona Boord and Sonya 

Bettenay will cover the “common but very frustrating problem in clinical 

practice”. This day of CPD, given by board-certified specialists, will cover 

topics including the initial approach to pododermatitis, important diseases of 

the pawpads, claws and interdigital skin, and treatment options available. 

For further information and registration, visit www.bvdsgmeetings.com or 

www.bvdsg.org.uk. 

wide spectrum in between. There 

are niches for all in any veterinary 

practice bigger than a one-man 

(woman) band. 

They each bring something to 

the table and good managers need 

to be able to identify each nurse’s 

skills and limitations, and also to 

understand each individual’s aspirations 

and how they, the employer can help 

them to achieve those goals. 

Remember that not everyone wants 

to push themselves in their career, but 

those who do are very likely to get 

frustrated if they are not given the 

opportunity to develop and if they 

don’t feel challenged. This is one of 

the very real problems that needs to be 

addressed. 

One area where the more aspirant 

nurses can really be put to good use is 

in nurse-led clinics. Some of the more 

progressive practices are already way 

along the road in this respect and the 

public seem very accepting of them in 

the right context and at the right price 

(they are often free). 

For those vet nurses who want to 

be challenged this is a very real option 

because it can involve using a lot of 

the skills that they have learnt during 

their training; skills they have hopefully 

continued to develop during their 

working career. 

Challenges and rewards 

Bringing all these skills together in 

a nurse-led clinic, covering an area 

about which the nurse has a particular 

interest, can bring both huge challenges 

and huge rewards. 

If the owners of practices recognise 

the value of such clinics and reward 

the nurses who run them appropriately 

(which will no doubt mean some salary 

increase but equally importantly, an 

increase in status and kudos within the 

practice), it is very likely to increase job 

satisfaction. Increased job satisfaction 

means improved staff morale and 

increased staff retention. All of which 

means a better service to the clients, 

a happier client base, and almost 

inevitably increased turnover and 

profits. 

So why do practices with a high 

turnover of staff continue on their 

merry way oblivious to the issues and 

seemingly unwilling to change? It beats 

me because they are certainly missing 

a trick. 

As a profession, let’s really try hard 

over the next year to value all our 

staff, but in particular our nurses. And 

let’s also let them know how much 

they’re valued. Not through some 

management speak recognition process 

but by genuinely treating them with the 

respect they deserve and helping them 

to realise their professional goals and 

dreams. 

Another important issue that was 

brought to my attention this month 

was the start of the campaign, “Think 

ahead: wear a hard hat around horses.” 

This was launched by vet Dr Jill 

Butterworth and follows on from a 

2014 BEVA survey that named “equine 

vet” as the most dangerous civilian 

occupation. 

I know there are plenty of people 

out there who will huff and puff about 

this and ask if vets are becoming softer 

than they used to be. But the tragedies 

that occur, some of which might have 

been avoided or at least mitigated 

by the wearing of a hard hat, should 

be enough to silence such outdated 

claptrap. 

Back in the sixties and seventies, 

the death rate among Formula 1 

drivers was, by today’s standards, 

an international disgrace. Sir Jackie 

Stewart was instrumental in pressing 

for improved driver safety, having 

concluded that someone who drove 

continuously during the years when he 

was driving had a two in three chance 

of being killed. 

He was not universally popular when 

he began his campaign, with many 

accusing him of being scared and 

taking the romance out of the sport. 

But his persistence paid off and since 

Ayrton Senna’s death in 1994, only one 

driver, Jules Bianchi in 2015, has died 

from injuries sustained in Formula 1. 

And as a spectator sport it is probably 

more popular than ever. 

So, let the dinosaurs huff and puff 

and come up with all the ludicrous 

excuses they can muster about why 

equine vets shouldn’t wear helmets 

when examining horses. Those of 

us with any sense should welcome 

this campaign and put our full weight 

behind it.

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2016 Gold Subscription £85 + VAT 

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• Dermatology – Mark Craig 

• Feline – Helen Bolter 

• Medicine – Allison German 

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These great value CPD packages are available to purchase – 

see our website for further details or call us on 01225 445561 

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VETcpd 

Tutored Online 

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01-21 March 2016: Improving your microscopy 

Ian Wright BVMS BSc MSc MRCVS. 

8 Hours CPD 

01-21 March 2016: Canine atopic dermatitis 

Mark Craig BVSc CertSAD MRCVS 

8 Hours CPD 

This course explores the following topics: 

• Microscope and lab preparation 

• Faecal sample collection, storage and 

examination by direct smear and flotation 

• Faecal examination by Baermann apparatus 

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• Urine sample collection, storage and examination 

• Hair plucking and skin scraping • Blood smear and examination 

Cases will be provided to help delegates understand the concepts 

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Microscopy: “Great course with great course notes. A really good 

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We will explore the pathogenesis of this 

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clinical signs, differentials, diagnosis, and 

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in the future, will be discussed. Case studies will be presented 

allowing delegates the opportunity to review and test their 

knowledge and diagnostic skills, plus a forum and MCQ exam. 

Book 

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11-30 April 2016: Skin cytology 

8 Hours CPD 

Francesco Cian, DVM, DipECVCP, 

FRCPath, MRCVS, European Specialist 

in Veterinary Clinical Pathology. 

+ VAT 

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+ VAT 

This comprehensive course will give you the 

basics you need for in house cytology from 

sampling techniques, to slide examination 

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of the most common inflammatory 

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challenges and diagnostic algorithms will also be provided. 

11-30 April 2016: Reptile clinical care 

8 Hours CPD 

ONLY 

£99 

Sarah Pellett BSc(Hons) 

MA VetMB CertAVP(ZooMed) MRCVS 

Nathalie Wissink-Argilaga Lic.Vet GPCert(ExAP) 

CertAVP(ZooMed) MRCVS 

The course will discuss reptile identification, 

husbandry and handling; hospitalisation; 

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UK Manufacturer

10 PERAMBULATIONS VP MARCH 2016 

Do we believe all life is precious? 

ONE OF THE THINGS I MOST 

LIKE ABOUT THE ADVENT 

OF SPRING is the lighter evenings. 

A significant problem with walking in 

the dark, to my mind at least, is the 

sickening crunch of a hapless snail 

crushed 

under foot. 

Does it really 

matter? you 

might ask. 

Does a snail 

feel pain? 

Does it know 

it’s stepped, 

it’s been 

stepped, into oblivion? 

We are, or at least we should be, 

rightly concerned over the welfare at 

slaughter of the thousands of cattle, 

sheep, pigs and poultry that enter our 

slaughterhouses every day. They have 

nervous systems akin to ours and 

they experience fear and suffering in 

something like the way we do. But a 

snail? Does it count? 

Years ago an important paper 

was written by Christopher Stone 

entitled Do trees have standing?, one 

that is reprinted in every book on 

environmental ethics. In the veterinary 

world we tend to equate worth with 

ability to feel pain and suffering. We 

Dr DAVID WILLIAMS 

would generally say that the death 

of an animal through euthanasia is 

a reasonable death, if done without 

suffering. 

So the demise of a great ape, an 

animal with significant memories of 

the past and 

hopes for 

the future, is 

something 

to be 

avoided if at 

all possible. 

But putting 

down a dog 

with let’s say 

inoperable cancer is something many 

of us do on a relatively regular basis. 

The memory of that pet will stay with 

the owner for years in many cases, but 

by the next day we have moved on. 

But wait just a moment. The very 

fact that we say we are putting the dog 

to sleep, euthanasing him maybe, saying 

goodbye perhaps, but not saying we are 

killing him (which is of course what we 

are doing) suggests I have a feeling that 

we are to some degree uncomfortable 

with the ending of life. 

The owners use the same sort of 

language. They will say they lost Fido 

last year, which is of course ridiculous. 

We can tell them exactly where he is, in 

wonders if there is a 

difference between 

euthanasing a rabbit 

and stepping on a snail, 

and looks to an emiment professor for 

moral and ethical guidance 

Also on VP+... 

diary of events, 

special features 

and much more 

Keep up to date every month with our 

new VP Digest, available on VP+ and our 

website, www.veterinary-practice.com 

Our FREE app is available to all readers 

of Veterinary Practice. Simply head to 

Google Play or the Apple App Store and 

search for ‘VP+’. Once you’ve installed it, 

subscribe using the following: 

Username: vpsubscriber 

Password: allcreaturesgreatandsmall 

Get your favourite 

monthly veterinary 

news-magazine 

delivered straight to 

your smart phone or 

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VP+ is enhanced with 

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straight to the relevant 

website to video and 

slideshows, VP+ takes 

you deeper. Join us 

now to be in with a 

chance of winning 

some great prizes 

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subscribers. 

the yellow bag in the freezer and later 

maybe in a wooden casket on their 

mantelpiece. But they have lost him 

– lost the friend who went for walks 

every day with them, the companion 

who was with them when they lost 

their husband. 

The rabbit we euthanase hasn’t quite 

the same importance, has it? Or maybe 

it has, certainly to the child for whom 

its passing (another crazy euphemism!) 

is perhaps her first encounter with 

death. How we as the bringers of death 

help her cope with that traumatic event 

can have profound influences on how 

she manages the more profound end 

of a grandparent or sibling. 

The death of the last St Helena giant 

earwig was in all probability mourned 

by nobody at the time. Neither that 

of the final breath of the final dodo. 

But these were important in what 

they show about how we view our 

involvement with the world around us. 

Which brings us to the snail 

crunched under foot. If I walk on, not 

at all bothered with the end of a life, 

even that as insignificant as a snail, 

there is something wrong with how I 

view the world as far as I can see. 

Amphibian aids 

Those of you who studied at 

Cambridge some time ago may 

remember the decerebrate frogs 

which were used to demonstrate the 

interaction between nerve and muscle. 

To my mind they were more a lesson 

in the history of science than a useful 

aid in understanding neuromuscular 

physiology but anyway they are a thing 

of the past. 

To those of you wanting to delve 

deeper into the history of how frogs’ 

legs revolutionised physiology, I 

recommend a relatively new book: 

Shocking Frogs by Piccolino and 

Bresadola (Shocking Frogs: Galvani, Volta, 

and the Electric Origins of Neuroscience. 

New York, Oxford University Press, 

2014). 

Now instead of frogs the first 

years are inducted into the world of 

experimental physiology using live 

earthworms. Less of a concern given 

the dramatic decline in amphibians 

worldwide with the spread of Chytrid 

fungus for sure, and not a problem if 

we put alleviation of pain and suffering 

at the top of the welfare agenda. 

Can earthworms feel pain? If we 

define pain as the emotional reaction 

to a nociceptive stimulus, then perhaps 

not. They wriggle and squirm when cut 

into in just the same way that a maggot 

reacts when put on the end of a fishing 

hook, but should we really be worried 

about that? 

Can I point you in the direction 

of one of my heroes, Dr Albert 

Schweitzer? Even as a child, Schweitzer 

was concerned for animals – why 

did his parents not include them 

in the prayers they said with him 

at bedtime? Why did his childhood 

friends seem to revel in tormenting 

them? 

Schweitzer was somewhat of a 

prodigy, becoming a professor of 

theology and of philosophy early in 

life as well as a world-class organist. 

But in my late twenties he realised 

that he had done everything because 

he wanted to. 

He asked God what He would have 

him do and the answer came: become 

a doctor and help people in the third 

world. 

Eventually he persuaded the 

medical authorities to let him go to 

medical school and eventually fulfilled 

the goal of building a hospital in the 

middle of the Congo. 

A moment of clarity 

It was in midstream travelling up 

a river in the middle of the jungle 

that Schweitzer saw in an instant 

his underlying aim: “At the very 

moment when, at sunset, we were 

making our way through a herd of 

hippopotamuses, there flashed upon 

my mind, unforeseen and unsought, 

the phrase ‘reverence for life.’ The 

iron door had yielded. The path 

through the thicket became visible.” 

This sense of reverence even 

extended to microbial pathogens 

causing disease in the very patients 

Schweitzer was treating. 

He writes about the medical 

advances that made such a difference 

to his patients in the early 1920s: 

“I rejoice over the new remedies 

for sleeping-sickness, which enable 

me to preserve life, whereas I had 

previously to watch a painful disease. 

But every time I have under the 

microscope the germs which cause 

the disease, I cannot but reflect that 

I have to sacrifice this life in order to 

save other life.” 

Immediately beforehand in his 

autobiography My Life and Thought, 

from whence that quotation is taken, 

Schweitzer notes: “To the man who is 

truly ethical all life is sacred, including 

that which, from the human point of 

view, seems lower in scale.” 

He makes distinctions only as each 

case comes before him and under the 

pressure of necessity as, for example, 

when it falls on him to decide which 

of the two lives he must sacrifice in 

order to preserve the other. 

“But all through this series of 

decisions he is conscious of acting on 

subjective grounds and arbitrarily, and 

knows that he bears the responsibility 

for the life which is sacrificed.” 

Oh that we had that view for the 

animals we care for each day!

VP MARCH 2016 VETSNORTH 11 

providing top-quality CPD presented by 

renowned speakers, plus compact exhibitions, 

day-long refreshments and delicious buffet 

lunches at affordable prices in superb locations 

VetsNorth 2016 

A. J. Bell Stadium, Eccles, Manchester 

22nd and 23rd June 

Organised by Veterinary Practice, run in association with Improve 

International and The Webinar Vet and sponsored by Dechra Veterinary 

Products, Nova Laboratories, Royal Canin and iM3 Dental 


WEDNESDAY 22nd JUNE 


THURSDAY 23rd JUNE 

CLINICAL CLINICAL 

STREAM 1 STREAM 2 

9-9.50am 

Soft tissue surgery: 

RACHEL BURROW 

Stick injuries in dogs: a 

pain in the neck 

10.05-10.55am 

Exotics: 

JOHN and 

MARGARET COOPER 

Animals without backbones: 

the challenge of 

the invertebrate patient 

11.20-12.10pm 

Behaviour 

SARAH HEATH 

Behavioural benefits of 

neutering in dogs – what 

is fact and what is fiction? 

12.15-1.15pm: LUNCH 

1.20-2.10pm 

Dentistry: 

BOB PARTRIDGE 

Rabbit dentistry – taking it 

seriously 

2.25-3.15pm 

Wound management: 

GEORGIE HOLLIS 

Advanced wound care: it’s 

just for specialists, isn’t it? 

3.35-4.25pm 


RACHEL BURROW 

The “abdominal” 

patient: which cases 

to ex-lap? 

4.40-5.30pm 

Behaviour: 

SARAH HEATH 

Improving detection and 

management of canine 

cognitive dysfunction 

9-9.50am 

Orthopaedics: 

BEN WALTON 

Put through the paces: an 

interactive session on 

lameness assessment 

10.05-10.55am 

Oncology: 

LAURA BLACKWOOD 

Update on the diagnosis 

and management of mast 

cell tumours 

11.20-12.10pm 


RACHEL BURROW 

A guide to perineal 

urethrostomy in the cat 

12.25-1.15pm 

Oncology: 


Update on the diagnosis 

and management of 

lymphoma 

1.20-2.20pm: LUNCH 

2.25-3.15pm 

Neuro-ophthalmology: 

PIP BOYDELL 

What’s up Doc? Vestibular 

disease in small animals 

3.35pm-4.25pm 

Orthopaedics: 

BEN WALTON 

Out with the old: what’s 

new in total joint 

replacement 

4.40-5.30pm 

Oncology: 


Newer diagnostic tests in 

oncology patients 

NURSING 

STREAM 

9-9.50am 

Behaviour: 

SARAH HEATH 

Improving rabbit welfare 

by understanding their 

behaviour 

10.05-10.55am 

Ophthalmology: 

PIP BOYDELL 

Ophthalmic emergencies 

11.20-12.10pm 

Exotics: 

JOHN and 


Can I cope? A practical and 

legal approach to exotic 

animals 

12.15-1.15pm: LUNCH 

1.20-2.10pm: 



Which dressing to use 

when... 

2.25-3.15pm 

Behaviour: 

SARAH HEATH 

Implementing behavioural 

and environmental modification 

in medical cases 

with a stress component 

3.35pm-4.25pm 

Dentistry: 

BOB PARTRIDGE 

There is no such thing as a 

routine scale and polish 

4.40-5.30pm 



Bandaging injuries – not 

just bad luck: the science 

behind the consequences 

WORKSHOPS and 

CONSULTATIONS 

10.05-12.10pm 

Dermatology: 

ANTHONY CHADWICK 

and DAVID GRANT 

Brush-up on your 

diagnostic techniques 

2.25-4.25pm 

Exotics: 

JOHN and MARGARET 

COOPER 

In-house laboratory 

investigations for exotic 

species and wildlife 

The VDS is running a 

one-on-one 

consultation 

training programme, 

entitled Winning clients 

over, throughout the 

day. Please reserve a 

slot on the booking 

form 

(each lasts about 30 

minutes) 

Coffee, tea and 

biscuits will be 

available throughout 

each day in the 

exhibition area. 

A buffet lunch will be 

available in the 

exhibition area from 12 

o’clock to 2.15pm – for 

everyone wearing a 

VetsNorth 2016 badge. 

The exhibition will be 

open from 8.30am to 

5.30pm with free drinks 

and snacks from 5pm. 

CLINICAL CLINICAL PRACTICE WORKSHOPS and 

STREAM 1 STREAM 2 MANAGEMENT CONSULTATIONS 

9-9.50am 

Orthopaedics: 

JOHN INNES 

Seeing is believing: a visual 

journey through the inside 

of canine joints – what 

arthroscopy can teach us 

10.05-10.55am 


PIP BOYDELL 

The eye looks OK – why 

can’t it see? 

11.20-12.10pm 

Exotics: 

JOHN and 


Is this eagle legal? The 

exotic wildlife forensic case 

12.15-1.15pm: LUNCH 

1.20-2.10pm 


PIP BOYDELL 

A review of pupil 

abnormalities 

2.25-3.15pm 

Orthopaedics: 

JOHN INNES 

Assessing treatment 

efficacy in 

mobility disorders 

3.35-4.25pm 

Exotics 

JOHN and 


Wildlife casualties: 

practical, legal and ethical 

considerations 

4.40-5.30pm 


PIP BOYDELL 

Intra-cranial emergencies 

9-9.50am 

Dentistry: 

BOB PARTRIDGE 

Banish the “brutalectomy” 

– dental extraction 

10.05-10.55am 

Dermatology: 

SUE PATERSON 

Autoimmune skin disease 

in the dog – clinical signs 

11.20-12.10pm 

Dentistry: 

BOB PARTRIDGE 

Dental radiography – 

what are you missing? 

12.25-1.15pm 

Dermatology: 

SUE PATERSON 


in the dog – investigation 

and therapy 

1.20-2.20pm: LUNCH 

2.25-3.15pm: 



Wound bed preparation 

and wound lavage – the 

best practice challenge 

3.35-4.25pm 

Dermatology 

SUE PATERSON 


in the cat 

4.40-5.30pm 




predicting the future – a 

case-based presentation 

on common issues that 

delay healing 

presented by ALISON 

LAMBERT and the team 

from Onswitch 

1. CUSTOMER SESSIONS 

9-9.50am 

Customer realities – 1 

Getting folks through the 

door: top tips 

10.05-10.55am 


Winning them at the first 

call – introducing first call 

resolution 

11.20-12.10pm 


Delivering a memorable 

consulting room 

experience 

12.15-1.15pm: LUNCH 

1.20-2.10pm 

Customer realities - 4 

Winning the testimonial 

battle-ground – being 

best in town 

2. TEAM MEMBER 

SESSIONS 

2.25-3.15pm: 

A team that ticks – 1 

Becoming employer of 

choice – grow your own 

3.35-4.25pm 


Recruiting folks who fit 

your culture – top tips 

4.40-5.30pm 


Getting rid of folks who 

need to leave ASAP 

10.05-12.10pm 



Best practice bandaging – 

the science, tips and tricks 

that should keep you out 

of trouble 

2.25-4.25pm 

Dentistry : 

BOB PARTRIDGE 

Difficult dental 

extractions 

The VDS is running a 

one-on-one 

consultation 

training programme, 

entitled Winning clients 

over, throughout the 

day. Please reserve a 

slot on the booking form 

(each lasts about 30 

minutes) 

Coffee, tea and 

biscuits will be 

available throughout 

each day in the 

exhibition area. 

A buffet lunch will be 

available in the 

exhibition area from 

12 o’clock to 2.15pm – 

for everyone wearing a 

VetsNorth 2016 badge. 

The exhibition will be 

open from 8.30am to 

3.35pm. 

For full details and to book go to www.vetsnorth.com

12 VETSNORTH VP MARCH 2016 

BOOKING 

INFORMATION 

Please use the booking form below 

or e-mail us with the information 

required. 

Payment is required with bookings 

– cheques made payable to VP 

Publishing Ltd – or paid by BACS 

before bookings will be confirmed. 

NB. A buffet lunch and 

refreshments throughout each day 

are included in the charge; also 

included is free access to video 


A. J. BELL STADIUM, ECCLES, MANCHESTER M30 7WH 

Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd June 

DELEGATE BOOKING FORM 

Two-day passes @ £175 per veterinary surgeon (£150 for nurses, etc.) £ 

includes refreshments and buffet lunch each day, etc., plus proceedings booklet, etc. 

One-day passes @ £95 per veterinary surgeon (£80 for nurses, etc.) £ 

Wednesday [ ] or Thursday [ ] 

includes refreshments and buffet lunch, etc., plus proceedings booklet, etc. 

Nursing stream Wednesday [ ] no extra 

Practice management stream Thursday [ ] charge 

please indicate if you are likely to attend either or both of these so we can 

ensure there are sufficient places in the meeting room 

HOTEL 

ACCOMMODATION 

Thr organisers will be using the 

Premier Inn Manchester 

Trafford Centre West (M17 

8PG) less than a mile from 

venue; close by this is the 

Travelodge Manchester 

Trafford Park (M17 8DD). There 

are number of other hotels 

nearby with prices to suit most 

budgets. 

recordings of the two clinical 

streams on the day or days attended 

(these will be available soon after 

the event). 

Confirmation will be sent with a 

VAT receipt by e-mail (or post if 

requested). 

Badges will not be issued in 

advance but will be available for 

collection on arrival at the event. 

As many people as you wish can 

be registered on the same form, 

provided we have contact details 

for each person. 

Where space is limited in sessions 

Name(s).................................................................................................................................. 

Practice ................................................................................................................................. 

Address ................................................................................................................................. 

............................................................................................ Postcode .................................. 

Telephone ........................................................................... 

E-mail .................................................................................. 

Workshops/masterclasses @ £30 extra each £ 

each is restricted to 12 persons – money will be refunded if all spaces taken 

Thursday – dermatology [ ] exotics [ ] 

Friday – wound management [ ] dentistry [ ] 

The one-on-one VDS consultation training programme: £30 extra £ 

Individual sessions with the VDS Communications Team: 

30-minute time slots will be allocated on first-come, first-served basis 

* VAT is 

payable 

on all 

bookings 

SUB-TOTAL £ 

VAT @ 20%* £ 

TOTAL £ 

(e.g. the workshops/masterclasses) 

bookings will be accepted on 

a first-come, first-served basis; 

money will be returned to anyone 

booking after sessions have been 

filled (we will keep a waiting list in 

case anyone drops out). 

NB. Attendance at workshops/ 

masterclasses is open only to those 

who buy a pass for the event and 

pay the additional fee required. 

Payments will not be refunded for 

cancellations after 15th June 

unless compelling reasons are given 

for non-attendance. 

Payment can be made by cheque (to VP PUBLISHING) and sent 

with this form to VetsNorth 2016, 15 Chaseside Gardens, 

Chertsey, Surrey KT16 8JP; or by BACS (VP Publishing Ltd: 309153, 

00084205); or by credit/debit card via the online booking form. 

Booking forms should be posted to: 

VetsNorth 2016, Veterinary Practice, 

15 Chaseside Gardens, Chertsey, 

Surrey KT16 8JP; or e-mailed to 

vetsnorth@gmail.com. 

Bookings can also be made via the 

website www.vetsnorth.com and 

payment made by credit or debit 

card. 

For further information, ring 01932 

563595 or e-mail vetsnorth@gmail. 

com. 

The speakers 

• Soft tissue surgery: Rachel 

Burrow, BVetMed, CertSAS, 

CertVR, DipECVS, MRCVS, 

European Specialist in Small 

Animal Surgery 

• Oncology: Professor Laura 

Blackwood, PhD, MVM, CertVR, 

DipECVIM-CA(Onc), MRCVS, 

RCVS and European Specialist in 

Oncology 

• Neuro-ophthalmology: Pip 

Boydell, BVetMed, CertVOphthal, 

MRCVS 

• Practice management: Alison 

Lambert, BVSc, MMRS, MRCVS 

• Exotics: Professor John E. 

Cooper, DTVM, FRCPath, FSB, 

CBiol, FRCVS, RCVS Specialist in 

Veterinary Pathology and Margaret 

E. Cooper, LLB, FLS 

• Companion animal 

behaviour: Sarah Heath, BVSc, 

DipECAWBM(BM), CCAB, 

MRCVS, European Veterinary 

Specialist in Behavioural Medicine 

(Companion Animals) 

• Wound management: Georgie 

Hollis, BSc, MVWHA 

• Orthopaedics: Professor John 

Innes, BVSc, PhD, CertVR, 

DSAS(Orth), MRCVS; and Ben 

Walton, BVSc, DSAS(Orth), 

MRCVS, RCVS Specialist in Small 

Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics) 

• Dentistry: Bob Partridge, 

BVM&S, MRCVS, European 

Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry 

• Dermatology: Sue Paterson, 

MA, VetMB, DVD, DipECVD, 

MRCVS, RCVS and European 

Specialist in Veterinary 

Dermatology; Anthony 

Chadwick, BVSc, CertVD, 

MRCVS; and David Grant, MBE, 

BVetMed, CertSAD, FRCVS 


is the 5th annual 

Veterinary Practice 

Reader Update to be 

held in Manchester. 

For the very latest 

information, details of 

speakers, etc., please 

go to the website 

www.vetsnorth.com

VP MARCH 2016 VETSSOUTH 2016 13 

Scenes from the 

Exeter congress 

THE second Exeter Veterinary Congress 

– VetsSouth 2016 – took place at Sandy 

Park, Exeter, on 10th and 11th February. 

Organised by Veterinary Practice in 

association with Improve International 

and The Webinar Vet, it attracted nearly 

300 delegates from far and wide. 

The photos show (anticlockwise from 

top left): the large animal stream on the 

first day with Alastair Hayton speaking; 

Matthew Oxford getting the dental 

workshop for vets under way; three 

of the speakers from Langford – Dr 

Jo Murrell, Caroline Smith and Gwen 

Covey-Crump with (second from left) 

Kathryn Burton, business development 

manager at Langford, who looked after 

the stand; Dr Andy Sparkes speaking in 

the nursing stream; four helpful stewards 

from Bristol (from left): Sean Millard, 

Peter Kilfeather, Alexander McGhee 

and Max Hannan; and busy times in 

the exhibition – on the Bayer stand; 

the MSD stand and the Dechra stand. 

Dechra was the 

principal sponsor 

of the event; other 

sponsors were 

Royal Canin, Nova 

Laboratories and 

iM3 Dental. 

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Email partnership@myvetpractice.co.uk or visit myvetpractice.co.uk

14 CORRESPONDENCE VP MARCH 2016 

BVU reports progress and announces first 

conference in June 

Dear Editor, 

Periscope (Viewpoint – in the February edition of Veterinary Practice) asks what 

the British Veterinary Union (BVU) in Unite has achieved and what the BVU’s 

role should be. We would like to take this opportunity to update the profession 

on the BVU’s progress and work so far, and to introduce our inaugural annual 

conference at which we plan to listen to the opinions of our members and discuss 

the future role of the BVU. 

As with any organisation, the BVU was initially very small when set up 

about five years ago, but membership has increased steadily over the years. It is 

important to point out that the fledgling BVU could not afford to spend money 

on costly advertisements in the veterinary press, and therefore the membership 

consisted primarily of people who had identified its need for themselves. 

The road to the creation of the BVU was a long one. At moments when it very 

much felt like swimming upstream, we re-read some of the letters sent to us by 

people confiding in us, telling us their often hair-raising stories of the appalling 

ways in which they had been treated by employers. And so we kept saying to each 

other: even if the BVU were to help only one of these people, we feel it will all 

have been worth it! 

Over the past years, the BVU has been able to help out members in many 

such cases. However, it appears that, in practice, the fact of being a member 

significantly strengthens the employee’s negotiating position without cases 

having to “come to a head”. We have heard of many instances where, after the 

employee spoke about their BVU membership with their employer, a solution to a 

potentially escalating problem was rapidly forthcoming. 

We are of course often asked how many members we have. It is official Unite 

policy not to reveal membership numbers at branch level. However, with the 

powerful resources of Unite underpinning the veterinary branch, members 

know themselves to be part of a 1.5 million-people strong organisation. Unite, 

of course, harbours unparalleled resources in terms of its country-wide web of 

union reps, lawyers specialised in employment law, regional offices, etc. During 

the first years, getting the BVU embedded in this network has had to be our focal 

point. 

As well as its role in supporting individual members, we feel the BVU has a 

broader role to play as an independent voice in the future of the profession. We 

feel there is a real need for this in the current fast-changing landscape of the 

veterinary profession, with corporate practices continuing to expand very rapidly, 

and working conditions likely to become ever more squeezed through the supply 

of ever more new graduates to the job market. 

So far, the BVU has already responded to consultations by the RCVS on a 

number of important issues – helping bring about the shift of the onus of 

responsibility of animal welfare from the attending veterinary surgeon to the 

animal’s owner in the Code of Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons, and successfully 

standing up for the rights of nearly 2,399 Certificate holders to safeguard their 

threatened status of specialisation. The BVU has also produced an exclusive 

report to expose the exploitation of junior vets at UK universities and made 

specific recommendations to address the issue. More recently, the BVU has 

launched a call for external supervision of the RCVS. 

There is obviously more work to do to strengthen the BVU further. As 

membership continues to grow, we feel that this is the time that the BVU has 

to develop into the powerful voice it is envisaged to be. In this regard, we are 

holding our first BVU conference on Saturday 18th June in London at which 

we plan to listen to the participants, discuss the problems faced by veterinary 

professionals and identify strategies to address them. 

The conference is open to all UK veterinary surgeons, nurses, and other 

members of staff working in the veterinary profession. Admission is free but 

advance reservation is required. As well as providing free CPD, the conference 

will provide a forum to discuss issues facing veterinary professionals and help 

develop the future role of the BVU. 

Yours faithfully, 

CAROLINE CHAMBERS, BA, VetMB, MRCVS, 

Organising Professional Committee, 

British Veterinary Union in Unite. 

E-mail: contact@bvu.org.uk. 

Workshop planned about handling 

of misconduct complaints 

Dear Editor, 

I was concerned to read the recent articles about John Davies legally challenging 

the RCVS. Despite winning the main part of his case against them he is being 

pursued by the College for over £12,000 of their legal costs. 

It reminds me of the time when an insurance company complained to the 

RCVS that I was guilty of fraud. As I was innocent, I won my case, but the RCVS 

refused to pay my legal costs of £10,000. (They later ran up a legal bill many 

times that amount merely defending their decision not to pay me!). The RCVS 

seem to be seeking to call Mr Davies to account for allegedly wasting members’ 

money. Who will call them to account for doing exactly that? 

Who racked up the legal bill of £40,000 in the first place by using external 

lawyers instead of doing as much work as possible in-house? There seems to be 

double standards. And do they consider the consequences of their actions? John’s 

legal challenge seems to be the end stage of what appears to be a very unfair 

dispute with a corporate that has made him sick with stress and taken away his 

livelihood. The College are spending large amounts on researching mental health 

whilst adding to the carnage by chasing him for, what is to them, a small sum. 

Where is the logic? 

An RCVS Roadshow presentation by Eleanor Ferguson (head of professional 

conduct) about what to do if a complaint is made against you ends on a slide 

with “DON’T PANIC”. Clients are quick to complain when things do not turn 

out as they wished and will blend the facts into a story to suit them. The stress of 

complaints and any contact members have with the College is immense, so most 

members DO PANIC. 

For those like me who are far from reassured, I am holding a free workshop 

about misconduct complaints later this year. I’d like to discuss other vets’ 

experiences of and opinions about the way complaints are handled. Please e-mail 

me at richardw@anrichvets.co.uk for more information. When a date and format 

is formulated I will publicise the event. 

Yours faithfully, 

RICHARD WESTON, BVMS, MRCVS, 

Pet Healthcare Centers Ltd, 

19 Caroline Street, Wigan, WN3 4EL. 

John Davies v. RCVS (continued) 

JOHN Davies reports that he is continuing to seek leave to appeal 

the judge’s costs order against him (as reported in the January and 

February issues), asking that the RCVS instead pay some of his costs. 

Upon receiving his appeal papers, the RCVS’s external solicitor wrote 

to him: “The College has an enforceable costs order against you in the 

sum of £12,933.40. Additionally, it is entitled to statutory interest at 

the rate of 8%... Unless and until payment of principal and interest is 

made, the College is able to take steps to enforce the order including, 

but not limited to, seizure and sale of goods (execution), obtaining 

security over land or securities (charging order) and bankruptcy … in 

the interests of fairness to your fellow members it will have no option 

but to enforce the order.” 

Mr Davies says that in December he wrote to all members of the 

RCVS Council asking them to stop enforcement of the order. At a 

meeting with Mr Davies last month, Dr Bradley Viner, the Royal 

College president, offered to suspend it and postpone a decision about 

whether or not enforcement is appropriate until the nurse misconduct 

case brought by Mr Davies comes to a final conclusion. The current 

state of this case is that, having been re-opened by court order, it 

was quickly closed again by the PIC in January. Mr Davies says he 

does not believe that it had a fair hearing. In the event that he feels a 

judicial review of this latest decision is necessary, he says he would be 

intimidated by the RCVS’s practice of using “heavyweight lawyers” 

and “threatening him with colossal costs”. 

Mr Davies has already been contacted by several veterinary surgeons 

who feel that they have been mistreated by the College’s Department of 

Professional Conduct. He can be contacted at stopRCVSlegal@gmail.com. 

Veterinary Practice thanks readers for their comments 

on the “events” piece in the last issue. We will publish a 

selection of comments next month. To have your say on 

any subject, e-mail editor@veterinary-practice.com.

VP MARCH 2016 OUT & ABOUT 15 

ISFM congress 

on Malta at 

end of June 

THE International Society of Feline 

Medicine (ISFM) is holding its 2016 

European Feline Congress on the 

island of Malta from 29th June to 3rd 

July. 

The main scientific programme 

will focus on the latest developments 

in feline orthopaedics and feline GI 

disease. 

The keynote speaker, Professor 

David Bennett from the Glasgow 

veterinary school, will present the 

latest findings in the interpretation of 

joint radiographs and look at surgical 

management of joint disease. 

He will be joined by Professor 

Peirone from the University of Turin, 

who will look at fracture management 

and discuss the relevance to cats of 

orthopaedic implants. 

Feline GI disease sessions will 

be led by Dr Alex German from 

the University of Liverpool and 

Professor Karin Allenspach from 

the RVC who will discuss the causes 

and management of GI conditions, 

including sessions on critical care 

nutrition, triaditis and pancreatitis. 

There will be a pre-congress day 

on feline anaesthesia and analgesia, 

plus five mini-symposiums (run by 

congress sponsors Merial, Ceva, Hill’s, 

Boehringer Ingelheim and Bayer), 

and masterclasses on GI disease and 

orthopaedics. 

For more information, go to www. 

icatcare.org/isfm-congress. 

Virtual congress 

streamed live to 

54 countries 

ABOUT 3,000 delegates from 54 

countries registered for the recent 

International Virtual Congress 

organised by the Webinar Vet. 

With a line-up of 28 speakers 

offering more than 40 hours of CPD 

over two days, the annual congress 

and pre-congress event is now the 3rd 

largest hosted in the UK, says Anthony 

Chadwick, founder of The Webinar 

Vet. 

The event started with a precongress 

day sponsored by the BVA, 

RCVS, and Agria Pet Insurance. This 

included a Small Animal Vaccination 

Symposium, with John Helps, 

Professor Michael Day, Peter Scott 

and Paula Boyden, and the RCVS 

Mindfulness Symposium with Carolyne 

Crowe, Dr Mike Scanlan and David 

Bartram. 

Agria also sponsored a pre-congress 

nursing stream in which Martha 

Cannon and Louise O’Dwyer covered 

anaesthesia and geriatrics. 

The main 24-hour virtual congress 

featured speakers such as Michael Day, 

Dr Jane Armstrong, Mike Davies, Dr 

Colin Harvey and Mike Herrtage and 

drew audiences from near and far, 

including Bosnia, Guatemala, Hong 

Kong, Indonesia, Macedonia, UAE and 

New Zealand. 

The event raised £3,832 for The 

Webinar Vet’s nominated charity, Dogs 

Trust, through donations raised by 

10% of ticket sales. 

Recordings of all the webinars 

can be purchased at www. 

theinternationalwebinarvet.com. 

7–10 April 2016 

Birmingham · UK 

Concise guide 

to dry eye 

BAYER Animal Health has produced 

a new educational resource on 

keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), or dry 

eye. 

The guide provides a concise 

overview of the condition, including 

aetiology, diagnosis, treatment and 

ongoing management. It also covers 

some commonly asked questions such 

as how to manage refractory cases and 

when to refer. 

The guide has been produced with 

Develop your 

connections 

at Congress 

@BSAVACONGRESS #BSAVA16 

www.bsavacongress.com 

input from 

ophthalmologist 

Chris Dixon, 

who offers 

further 

guidance 

throughout the 

report. 

“Vision 

Matters – A 

Focus on 

Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca” has been 

launched as part of the Remend Vision 

Matters campaign and is available for 

download at https://vetcentre.bayer. 

co.uk or http://goo.gl/HOM1Y4. 

SYSTEMATIC 

APPROACH TO 

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PRODUCTS 

Meloxicam 

presentation 

for cats 

CEVA Animal Health has introduced 

5ml Meloxidyl (meloxicam) oral 

suspension for cats. 

The new size will provide more 

prescription options for veterinary 

practices currently stocking 15ml 

bottles and is a perfect post-surgery 

size to send patients home with, says 

the firm. The bottles are clear brown in 

colour, making it easier for cat owners 

to see how much liquid is left in each 

bottle. 

The product is licensed for the 

treatment of musculo-skeletal 

disorders and the alleviation of postoperative 

pain. 

To support the launch, Ceva is 

running a competition to win one of 

five BSAVA Manuals of Anaesthesia and 

Analgesia by answering the question: 

“How many millilitres are in the new 

Meloxidyl cat bottle?” To enter, e-mail 

analgesica-group@ceva.com (include 

“Meloxidyl competition” in the subject 

line and contact details and the answer 

to the question in the main body of the 

e-mail). Entries close on 25th March. 

Reducing 

severity of 

diarrhoea in 

cattle 

VIRBAC has introduced Bovigen 

Scour, an emulsion for injection 

into cattle to reduce the severity 

of diarrhoea caused by bovine 

rotavirus, bovine coronavirus and 

enteropathogenic E. coli F5 (K99). 

It works, says the company, by 

actively immunising pregnant cows 

and heifers and providing passive 

immunity to their calves via colostrum. 

The vaccine also helps to reduce the 

shedding of virus by calves infected 

with bovine rotavirus and coronavirus. 

The primary course is administered 

in two shots with first dose between 12 

and five weeks before calving and the 

booster three weeks later. The annual 

booster is then due between 12 and 

three weeks before calving is expected. 

The vaccine is presented in two sizes: 

15ml (five doses) and 90ml (30 doses). 

The dosage per cow is 3ml and the 

milk withdrawal time is nil. 

Additional 

strains in 

leptospirosis 

vaccine 

VIRBAC has launched Canigen Lepto4 

vaccine. This is now being offered 

alongside Canigen Lepto2 and covers 

two additional strains of leptospirosis, 

recently identified as being of concern 

in certain high-risk groups in the UK 

and in dogs which may be travelling 

abroad. 

The product launch includes a 

range of educational and promotional 

resources to enable practices to engage 

with their clients and help to make 

informed decisions about leptospirosis 

vaccination. 

Distributor 

of flea 

control range 

VIRBAC has taken over the 

distribution of the topical 

ectoparasiticide range, Activyl 

(indoxacarb). 

The prescription-only products are 

available in three spot-on preparations: 

Activyl for Dogs and Activyl for Cats 

for the control of fleas, and Activyl 

Tick Plus for tick and flea control in 

dogs. 

They are described as effective 

against developing flea life stages in the 

immediate environment of the pet. 

In-house diagnostic test 

for feline diseases launched 

VIRBAC has launched Speed Trio, an in-house diagnostic test combination 

for the detection of FeLV antigens, anti-FIV and anti-FCoV antibodies in 15 

minutes. 

It is designed, says the firm, 

to facilitate the diagnosis of 

immunosuppressive diseases, such as 

FIP. “When a cat tests positive for 

feline coronavirus and either FeLV or 

FIV, it is at increased risk of developing 

FIP; therefore, serological testing for all 

three diseases is the logical step.” 

The test also boosts client satisfaction 

and can support practice profitability, 

Virbac states. 

Vet Index 

VetIndex 

A-Z Directory 

Whatever you are looking for – 

checkout VetIndex Directory first! 

This years VetIndex, published in 

March 2016, contains 266 pages 

of useful practice information! 

With over 115 sections, covering 

everything from Accountancy 

Services to Xray Equipment, 

VetIndex is an indispensable 

source of information and the 

only classified directory of its 

kind in the UK. Plus with over 20 

VetIndex A-Z Directory 

Practice Newsletters 

Sympathy Cards 

16th Edition 

For further information: Tel: 01225 445561 

E: vetindex@me.com | www.vetindex.co.uk 

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referral sections – it’s a great way to market your own referral service! 

Last but not least, you can also find us online at: www.vetindex.co.uk 

Keep an eye out for your practice copy which will arrive in mid-March! 

VetIndex 

Client Newsletters 

• Running a successful veterinary 

practice (as with any other 

business) is all about building 

and maintaining relationships. 

• Your clients have a choice where 

to go with their pet! Clients will 

only take their pets to a practice 

they trust – so reinforce that 

trust with a practice newsletter! 

• The great news is that you can 

have a practice newsletter from 

just £98 + VAT for 250 copies. 

Your Practice 

Logo Here 

(if you have one) 

Parasite Alert! 

Everyone loves 

the summer – us, 

our pets and, 

unfortunately, the 

pesky parasites 

that live on them! 

Fleas: The balmy weather a lows 

fleas to breed both inside and outside 

our houses. Pets who hunt 

are at particular risk because the 

fleas wi l be alive and we l in large 

numbers on their prey. Fleas also 

carry worms, so always de-worm 

and de-flea pets at the same time. 

There are now several combination 

products on the market. 

Ticks are particularly numerous on 

moors and scrubland or where 

there are lots of sheep. They are 

most often found attached to the 

head and neck of pets and look 

like sma l, grey warts or peas. If 

you find a tick, it is best removed 

with a specia ly designed tick 

remover, using a twisting action 

to remove them. Spot-ons, co lars 

and tablets are a l available to ki l, 

and in some cases, repel ticks. 

Harvest Mites are a late-Summer 

and Autumn problem. The mites 

tend to attach themselves to our 

pets’ paws and ear flaps and 

can make them very itchy. They 

are visible to the naked eye as 

tiny orange specks on the skin 

but they can be difficult to spot. 

Treatment is with a flea spray, 

rather than a spot-on medication. 

Scabies is a relatively common 

problem in dogs – especially if 

they enjoy exploring fox holes 

or rolling in fox faeces. The mite 

burrows in the skin and causes 

an extremely itchy rash. It can 

be treated and prevented using 

veterinary medications. 

If you have any questions about 

parasites and how to treat and 

prevent them in your pets, we 

are happy to help – please ask a 

member of our team. 

Summer 2016 

Roundworms 

Looking after your new arrival! 

The importance of early socialisation 

® 

Published 

March 

2016 

Your Practice Name Here – in the typeface of your choice 

Plus – customise or replace as many of the articles as you like! 

NEWS 

Getting a new pet is an exciting time and there wi l be a lot to think 

about! Once you have co lected your new arrival, please bring them 

in to see us for a full health check to make sure there aren’t any 

problems. As well as giving your pet a check-over, we’ve put together 

a handy list of things you need to do to keep them fit and we l: 

Vaccinations: In the very early stages of life, puppies and kittens 

gain immunity against disease from their mother’s milk. This 

protection starts to fade when they are around six weeks of 

Early Dental Care Guide 

age and without vaccinations, they are left vulnerable to some 

potentially deadly diseases. This is why it is so important to 

have your pets inoculated as soon as they are old enough. 

Regular booster vaccinations, combined with a health check, 

are the best way of protecting your pet, plus at the same time 

we can keep a watchful eye out for any emerging problems. 

Worming: Regular worming is absolutely vital 

in the early weeks of your puppy’s or kitten’s 

life. Not only are they more likely to pick up 

worms than adults (because of their curious 

natures) they are also more vulnerable to 

their effects due to their immature immune systems. A good 

breeder wi l worm their litters regularly from birth and you 

should continue this monthly until they reach six months of 

age. As adults, cats and dogs should be wormed at least 

every three months, and if they are 

hunters or are out and about 

a lot, monthly is better to prevent significant worm infestations. 

Microchipping is now compulsory for a l dogs in the UK and it 

must be carried out before they are eight weeks old. This means 

that in the majority of cases it wi l have been done by the breeder, 

but if not, then speak to us about booking them in. It is a quick 

and relatively painless procedure and vital to ensure your pet 

is permanently identifiable. Although it isn’t law for cats to 

be microchipped, we think it is very important, especia 

ly as they often wander more than dogs. 

We can advise on other topics such as diets and feeding, dental care, flea and tick control, 

and pet insurance. Please contact us for further information or to book an appointment. 

Pets have two sets of teeth, and 

their “milk” teeth progressively fa l 

out from about 12 weeks of age to 

make way for their adult teeth. If 

this doesn’t happen the corresponding 

adul tooth may erupt in 

the wrong direction. This is usua ly 

only a problem in dogs and is treated 

by extracting the retained teeth. 

R = retained “milk” canine teeth 

M = mal-aligned adult canine tooth 

The early experiences a puppy or kitten has of people and their surroundings 

has a huge impact on their behaviour and personality for the rest of 

their life. When considering a new pet, it’s really important to make sure 

the breeder or rescue centre has fully socialised them – it could save you a 

lot of problems and heartache in the future. 

It is vital puppies and kittens stay with the litter and mother until at least 

8 weeks old, to learn good dog or cat manners and behaviour. After their 

first few weeks, puppies and kittens should have regular contact with all kinds of people; adults 

(both men and women), children and the elderly. They should ideally be reared in a home 

environment, so they get used to the sights, sounds and smells of family life. Once puppies 

are fully vaccinated it’s a good idea to get them out and about – gradually introducing them to 

loud noises, cars, horses, fire engines – pretty much everything and anything! 

Use this area to repeat your telephone number, and/or to mention the name of a sponsor. 

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pretty much anything is possible! 

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• EMAIL a PDF – using our specially designed HTML email templates. 

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18 PARASITES VP MARCH 2016 

Nurse-led clinics important for treating ectoparasites 

VETERINARY practices should 

be running dedicated nurse-led 

preventive medicine clinics to 

reduce the burden of chronic skin 

disease in the UK’s dog and cat 

population, delegates at VetsSouth 

2016 were told. 

David Grant, former director of the 

RSPCA Harmsworth hospital and a 

diplomate in veterinary dermatology, 

spoke on the identification and 

treatment of ectoparasites in 

companion animals in the nursing 

stream at the event in Exeter on 11th 

February. 

He argued that poor compliance 

with treatment by clients was the main 

reason for the high prevalence of skin 

disorders in pet animals and that nurses 

held the key to tackling the problem. 

Pet owners fail to make use of the 

effective treatments available against 

fleas and other arthropod parasites 

because they don’t fully understand 

what is expected of them. 

“In the consulting room you will 

often have a young vet explaining all 

about this incredibly exciting condition 

without noticing that the client is 

staring out of the window. Then the 

owner will go back to reception and 

ask the nurse: ‘What did the vet say?’ 

So it is up to you to tell them.” 

While Mr Grant felt that veterinary 

colleagues were often very bad 

at explaining what clients need 

to know, he acknowledged that it 

was very difficult to achieve this 

within the constraints of a normal 

veterinary consultation. Clients need 

to understand the flea life-cycle and 

the role of the pet’s immunological 

response in causing the disease, as well 

as being told about the product being 

recommended and shown how to use it 

– and there simply isn’t enough time to 

do all that in 10 minutes, he said. 

In a nurse consultation it would be 

possible to give all that information 

and to show exactly how the 

recommended product should be 

applied. This would address one of 

the most common reasons why the 

treatment might be less successful than 

expected. 

Mr Grant believed that on many 

occasions clients will apply a spot-on 

insecticidal product to the animal’s fur 

rather than directly onto the skin. 

He acknowledged that it might 

sometimes be difficult for an ablebodied 

person to treat a cat that has 

learned to avoid the feel 

of the liquid on its skin. 

So there is little chance 

of someone with, say, 

arthritis or poor eyesight, 

being able to successfully 

carry out the task on their 

own. At a preventive 

care clinic, nurses would 

also be able to apply the 

product for their client. 

In some cases, chronic 

pruritus caused by the 

parasite may be the reason why the 

owner may experience difficulties in 

handling the animal. If that condition 

is brought under control, the pet 

may well become more biddable and 

the owner may then be able to apply 

the product without a struggle, he 

suggested. 

David Grant. 

Responsibilities 

Diagnosis and prescribing remain 

the responsibility of the supervising 

veterinary surgeon, but a VN will 

normally be given responsibility for 

administering the treatment, he said. 

It is not essential for the nurse to 

know everything about all the many 

different products available for use 

in treating external 

parasites but they should 

know about the specific 

products stocked in their 

practice. 

It is also helpful for 

nurses to be familiar with 

the main parasite species 

and to have learned 

the basic diagnostic 

techniques such as hair 

plucks, skin scraping and 

microscopy. 

Mr Grant noted that pet owners may 

be reluctant to accept that their animal 

has fleas, lice or mites and so it is vital 

for ensuring good owner compliance 

that the VN is able to demonstrate 

their presence on the animal, especially 

when the parasite numbers are small. 

If clients could be persuaded to 

attend these clinics more regularly then 

the numbers of pets being treated for 

internal parasites would also increase 

and reduce the zoonotic threat posed 

by organisms like Toxocara canis. 

“This has to be the way forward – as 

it would be good for the health and 

welfare of our patients, it is good for 

human health and it would help the 

bottom line of your practice as well.” 

Conference on helminth parasites of livestock 

THE 8th International Conference of Novel Approaches to The Control of 

Helminth Parasites of Livestock is to be held in Belem, Brazil, from 5th to 10th 

August. Since its first meeting in Australia in 1995, this conference has aimed to 

stimulate links between scientists and specialists from developed, emerging and 

developing countries. 

The programme begins with a technical field trip from 5th to 7th August, 

followed by the technical/scientific programme from 8th to 10th. The field 

trip will be to the Marajo Island, the largest river island in the world, located at 

the estuary of the Amazon River. The conference theme is Research, extension 

services and farming: building the dialogue, and will aim to disseminate recent scientific 

advances around the topic of helminth control in livestock. 

For details go to http://xixcbpv.com/#8th-novel-approaches. 

Key role for vets in education on liver fluke 

A NATIONWIDE 

survey of beef farmers 

has given an insight 

into the way liver fluke 

is managed in the UK 

and Ireland, including 

the role of veterinary 

advice. 

In the survey 

conducted by Norbrook 

at the end of 2015, 59% 

of the farmers said they had not yet talked to their vet or animal health adviser 

about managing liver fluke, but 40% said they would appreciate a recap on the 

effects, treatment strategies and options. Well over half (58%) said they relied on 

their vet or animal health adviser as the main source of such information. 

The survey generated nearly 400 responses from around the UK and Ireland. 

Steph Small, veterinary adviser for Norbrook, says the results highlight the key 

role of vets in the effective management of liver fluke. 

“It would appear,” she said, “that there is still a need for continued education 

on fluke symptoms, testing mechanisms and treatment among beef farmers. Liver 

fluke is obviously something that farmers want to know more about, and to keep 

up-to-date with the latest thinking. 

“This is an ideal opportunity for vets to add value to their client services and to 

open a dialogue on wider aspects of parasite control before cattle are housed.” 

The majority of the farmers said they give fluke treatment either once (42%) 

or twice (40%) each year, and 88% had treated their animals the year before. In 

terms of treatment choice, most (68%) said they use a combination of a flukicide 

and a wormer, and 58% said that a pour-on was their preferred method of 

treatment. 

The survey was conducted online with a prize of £250/€330 of retail vouchers 

on offer for participants. The winner was Hugh Dwyer from Kerry, Ireland. 

Cornell study shows Trichinella parasites turn 

the host’s immune system against itself 

A NEW study from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University 

shows that Trichinella worms recruit their hosts’ immune systems to feed and 

shelter them within muscle tissue. Senior author Judy Appleton, Professor of 

Immunology, says the same may hold true in other parasitic worm infections: 

“The worm stimulates an immune response, then co-opts the immune response 

to help itself.” The study was described in the December 2015 PLOS Pathogens. 

Trichinella infestation can lead to trichinosis, also called trichinellosis, a disease 

with symptoms ranging from headaches and fever to heart and breathing 

problems. Severe cases may end in death. Trichinella larvae are commonly found in 

the meat of wild and domestic animals and are able to spread when infected meat 

is eaten raw or undercooked. 

Professor Appleton’s research focuses on eosinophils, which don’t attack 

perceived invaders the way other white blood cells do. Eosinophils had long 

been perceived as helpful in combating infection; instead, they appear to help the 

worms survive. Earlier work from the Cornell laboratory showed that eosinophils 

block the production of nitric oxide, a gas produced by the immune system that 

is toxic to Trichinella. The follow-up study in PLOS reveals that eosinophils not 

only prevent the nitric oxide gas attack, their presence is actually necessary for the 

worm to thrive. 

“We found that muscle tissue is mounting a repair response, like it would 

against an injury,” said Prof. Appleton. “Then the eosinophils are coming in, 

presumably to help with the repair, but coincidentally they help the parasite grow. 

We found evidence of a shift in metabolism in the muscle that would provide 

more glucose to the worm. When you vaccinate for an infectious disease, you’re 

trying to induce a certain kind of immune response. Understanding the roles 

these blood cells can play will help in developing effective therapeutics that use 

the immune system.”

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20 PARASITES VP MARCH 2016 

Which wormer should you use – and 

when? 

ALL SIGNIFICANT HELMINTH 

species of dogs in the UK can be 

transmitted by eggs or larvae in faeces, 

so hygiene is fundamentally important 

when preventing transmission. 

Cleaning up 

faeces reduces 

environmental 

contamination, 

particularly 

around 

children’s play 

areas where 

there is a 

zoonotic risk. 

Several parasites can be transmitted 

in the faeces of wild canids and 

most environmental cestode and 

nematode stages are highly resistant to 

environmental degradation, resulting in 

a persistent reservoir of parasites. Even 

the most diligent hygiene cannot fully 

protect dogs from infection. 

MICHELLE GREAVES 

of Virbac provides an 

insight into the most 

important nematodes and 

cestodes affecting dogs in 

the UK, covering key risk 

factors and treatment suggestions 

Roundworms 

Toxocara canis, the most common 

zoonotic roundworm, is transmitted 

both via the placenta in utero and via 

the milk to pups up to five weeks of 

age. An appropriate treatment plan 

with fenbendazole during pregnancy 

(25mg/kg from day 40 of pregnancy 

until two days post-whelping) can 

reduce peri-natal infections. 

In puppies, oral pyrantel embonate/ 

febantel can be given twice weekly 

from two weeks of age until two 

weeks post-weaning; milbemycin 

oxime (combined with praziquantel) 

monthly from two weeks of age or 

fenbendazole courses at two, five, eight 

and 12 weeks of age. 

The pre-patent period for Toxocara 

canis is three to four weeks so, after 

the initial course of puppy worming, 

monthly treatments until six months 

of age are recommended (see www. 

esccapuk.org for more information). 

Infections in adult dogs cause few 

clinical signs but are significant where 

zoonotic risk is high, for example 

where dogs have contact with young 

children. For the average adult dog a 

quarterly worming programme should 

be adequate but monthly treatment is 

recommended in high-risk situations. 

Hookworms 

Ancylostoma caninum and Uncinaria 

stenocephala are the key European 

hookworm species. A. caninum is not 

endemic in the UK but is zoonotic 

and responsible for cutaneous larval 

migrans. 

U. stenocephala is prevalent in the UK, 

usually acquired by ingestion of eggs, 

often within a rodent. Parasites migrate 

to the intestines, feeding on blood 

and plasma, with potential to cause ill 

thrift and 

anaemia 

in young 

animals. 

Agerelated 

immunity 

develops 

but 

subclinical 

or patent infections commonly occur. 

Most endoparasiticides treat 

hookworm infestation – check 

the relevant data sheets for more 

information. Hookworms can have 

shorter pre-patent periods than other 

parasites so may require two-weekly 

treatment to clear infection alongside 

strict hygiene protocols such as clearing 

faeces from a dog’s environment. 

Angiostrongylus vasorum 

There are a wide variety of nonspecific 

clinical signs associated with 

A. vasorum (“lungworm”). In the UK, 

sylvatic reservoirs maintain infection 

of mollusc and amphibian intermediate 

and paratenic hosts. Macrocyclic 

lactones, i.e. oral milbemycin oxime 

(combined with praziquantel) weekly, 

or topical moxidectin (combined with 

imidacloprid) monthly, are effective to 

treat infection. 

Off-licence, fenbendazole has 

been used daily for five to 21 days. 

Several products authorised in the UK 

have claims for both treatment and 

prevention. Monthly doses are required 

to prevent infection as the pre-patent 

period is variable but as short as 28 

days. 

Tapeworms 

Tapeworms of importance include 

Echinococcus, Taenia and Diplydium 

species. Tapeworms are zoonotic but 

have variable clinical consequence 

in dogs, with “scooting” being the 

primary complaint noted by owners as 

gravid segments are passed. 

E. multiocularis is not endemic in the 

UK: compulsory tapeworm treatments 

on entering the UK are enforced 

to protect against human alveolar 

echinococcosis. E. granulosus and Taenia 

spp are also rarely clinically significant 

Michelle Greaves, BVMS, CertAVP(VD), MRCVS, graduated from 

Glasgow in 2007, working in mixed practice before focusing on small 

animal practice in South Yorkshire, and subsequently joining Virbac as 

a field technical adviser in 2015. 

• The photos are courtesy of Virbac. 

in dogs but the environmental 

resilience of their eggs has public 

health implications as they can 

contaminate fur, leading to accidental 

ingestion by owners and the rare 

development of hydatid disease. 

Canine transmission occurs via 

ingestion of cysts found in the 

carcases of intermediate hosts such as 

sheep. Feeding of raw offal or access 

to carcases in endemic areas allows 

infections to persist. 

Dipylidum caninum is rarely associated 

with clinical signs in dogs. Fleas and 

chewing lice act as intermediate hosts – 

dogs carrying fleas should be assumed 

infected with D. caninum and treated 

accordingly. The pre-patent period is 

three weeks so re-infection can occur 

before the next treatment is given 

if the flea or louse infestation is not 

controlled. 

The pre-patent period of tapeworms 

is three to 10 weeks, depending on 

species. Treatment is with praziquantel 

for all tapeworms, with dogs at high 

risk of Echinococcus infection 

treated every four to six weeks. Where 

Echinococcus is confirmed, dogs 

should be treated on two consecutive 

days and shampooed to remove eggs 

on the coat. Gloves and a mask should 

Ancylostoma caninum. 

Toxocara canis. 

be worn when bathing the dog and 

handling faeces to prevent zoonosis. 

Comprehensive information about 

appropriate anthelmintics, and the 

less common helminth species can be 

found at www.esccapuk.org. 

Many pet owners not 

taking action against ticks 

A SURVEY of 4,000 

dog and cat owners 

commissioned by Bayer 

Animal Health has 

found that 44% of them 

state they don’t provide 

regular preventive tick 

treatment for their pet, 

although more than 60% 

admit they are worried 

about ticks spreading 

disease to their pet, and 

nearly a third (28%) say they have discovered a tick on their pet. 

The survey was part of the firm’s national tick awareness campaign, “No 

Bite Is Right”, which aims to educate pet owners about the importance of 

tick prevention. 

Richard Wall, professor of zoology at Bristol, says: “Research has shown 

that in recent years tick abundance has increased and the period of seasonal 

activity has extended in many areas. Climate change, particularly warmer, wet 

winters have had direct effects on tick feeding as well as impacting indirectly 

on vegetation cover and creating a more suitable habitat. 

“The increase in deer numbers, habitat modification by conservation 

and changes in farming practices have also all contributed to the growth in 

numbers.” 

“No Bite Is Right” is part of Bayer’s wider “It’s a Jungle Out There” 

parasite protection initiative. A series of campaign roadshows for pet owners 

will be taking place this year at the Ayr, Devon and New Forest County 

Shows. 

Practices can get involved with the campaign by following the conversation 

on www.facebook.com/jungleforpets and download campaign materials at 

www.vetcentre.bayer.co.uk.

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DESIGNED FOR PETS MADE FOR VETS

22 CPD VP MARCH 2016 

Rabies: pet passports and increased risks 

CHANGES MADE TO THE PET 

TRAVEL SCHEME in 2014 included 

laminating passport entries, restricting 

rabies vaccination to animals at least 12 

weeks of age, recording details of the 

vet issuing the passport and providing 

a new set of rules for travel with more 

than five pets. 

These 

changes were 

implemented 

to provide a 

more rigorous 

system to 

protect 

against 

the illegal 

smuggling of 

JAYNE LAYCOCK 

reports on her ‘pick 

of the month’ CPD 

webinar which 

featured Paula 

Boyden, veterinary 

director of Dogs Trust, discussing the 

changes to the pet travel scheme 

cats, dogs and ferrets into the country 

and to protect against outbreaks of 

disease which specifically place public 

health at risk. 

However, Paula Boyden, veterinary 

director of Dogs Trust, is concerned 

that these changes do not go far 

enough and believes that after 

relaxation of the rules in 2012 the 

risk of serious disease such as rabies 

entering the country has, without 

doubt, increased. 

A platinum members’ webinar 

organised by The Webinar Vet and led 

by Paula discussed the implications 

of changes to the passport scheme 

since 2012, some of which made for 

uncomfortable listening. These changes 

included removing the necessity 

for serology testing after rabies 

vaccination, allowing pets to travel 

three weeks post-rabies vaccination 

and allowing tapeworm treatment to 

be administered one to five days prior 

to travel. 

Since these changes to the scheme, 

the risk of rabies entering the country 

has increased 60 fold, and now stands 

at one case every 211 years – and this 

is assuming 100% compliance with 

PETS. Worryingly, if compliance drops 

to only 90%, this risk increases to one 

case every 170 years. 

One of the reasons contributing 

to this increased risk of rabies is the 

removal of serology testing from the 

regulations. From previous serology 

data we know that large breeds of 

dogs respond less well to the rabies 

vaccination when compared to small 

breeds of dogs, and adult dogs 

between the ages of one and seven 

tend to respond better than dogs 

greater than seven and less than one 

year of age. 

This is relevant as prior to the 

changes made to PETS in 2011, dogs 

needed to be at least 10 months old 

(vaccinate at three months, blood test 

approximately one month later and 

travel six months from the date of the 

successful blood test), whereas under 

the new regulations they can be as 

young as 15 

weeks, which 

could mean 

their response 

to vaccination 

may not be as 

good as older 

dogs. 

There were 

also some 

dogs which 

never gained adequate serology results 

to travel, meaning there will be a small 

percentage of vaccinated dogs not 

protected against rabies. 

On a more positive note, rabies 

cases across Europe have decreased 

significantly over the past few years 

with a reported 13,000 cases in 1991 

reducing to 5,000 cases in 2001. 

However, many of the cases reported 

in 2001 came from Eastern European 

countries and some of these are now 

part of the EU. Their borders with 

non-EU countries also pose a risk 

and the adequacy of border control 

at the perimeter of the EU has to be 

questioned. 

Extending the time between 

tapeworm treatment and entering the 

UK is also likely to have increased 

the risk of 

Echinococcus 

multilocularis 

entering 

the country, 

potentially 

endangering 

public health. 

Tapeworm 

treatment 

will only kill 

tapeworms 

present at the time and extending this 

time means there is a greater chance of 

re-infection. 

As this is a parasite which has a 

significant impact on the quality 

and quantity of life of a human and 

with Echinococcus multilocularis already 

knocking on the shores of France, this 

is a very real risk which must be taken 

seriously. 

PETS compliance problem 

An investigation carried out by Dogs 

Trust into puppy smuggling also 

Paula Boyden, BVetMed, MRCVS, graduated from the RVC in 1992, 

spending 11 years in general practice before joining Intervet/Schering- 

Plough Animal Health as a veterinary adviser in 2003. She joined 

Dogs Trust as deputy veterinary director in June 2010 and became 

veterinary director in August 2011. 

It is imperative that all 

small animal vets are 

aware of any potential 

issue which could 

occur as a consequence 

of PETS, so it can be 

appropriately managed 

and reported. 

demonstrated that compliance with 

the Pet Travel Scheme is a significant 

problem. Paula explained there was an 

overall 60% increase in the number 

of pets travelling under PETS after 

changes to the regulations in 2012 but, 

worryingly, the equivalent increase in 

Lithuania was 780% and in Hungary 

663%, and this only accounts for dogs 

that are declared and not any puppies 

smuggled into the UK. 

Dogs Trust’s investigation into 

these countries found PETS was 

being used as cover to illegally import 

puppies into the country with underage 

puppies entering the UK without 

the appropriate treatments. They also 

found unscrupulous vets had been 

falsifying pet passports allowing for 

illegal travel. This illegal activity should 

come as no surprise as the potential to 

make money from puppy smuggling is 

huge (for every five puppies smuggled 

into the country per week, a smuggler 

can make in the region of £100,000 

per year tax-free!). 

Dogs Trust also highlighted 

weaknesses at border control, having 

been able to bring a soft toy puppy 

with an implanted microchip across the 

border into the UK three out of four 

times without being challenged. 

No visual check 

Unbelievably, no visual check of the 

animal is required at the border with 

microchip scanners being used on the 

outside of carrier boxes. Once the chip 

is scanned 

and is shown 

to correlate 

to the 

number on 

the passport, 

that animal 

(or soft toy in 

this case) is 

allowed into 

the UK. 

On 

the back of these findings, Dogs 

Trust has compiled a set of urgent 

recommendations which Paula believes 

should be implemented to ensure 

better compliance with PETS, thereby 

protecting public health and the 

welfare of travelling animals (many 

puppies are likely to have travelled for 

40 hours without food and water). 

These recommendations include 

banning the import of puppies under 

six months of age. This should make 

it easier for border control to spot 

younger puppies, often eight weeks or 

less, which are far more attractive to 

a purchaser and thereby much easier 

for a puppy smuggler to sell. This, of 

course, does assume there is a visual 

check at the border. 

Another recommendation is to 

Paula Boyden and Phoebe. 

create a centrally accessible database 

for animals with microchips and 

ensuring there is cross-agency working 

to develop an intelligence system 

and share data. This would make it 

significantly easier to trace animals if 

abandoned or track the movement 

of individuals in the face of a disease 

outbreak. 

Fixed penalty 

recommendation 

Dogs Trust also strongly recommends 

the introduction of a fixed penalty 

for not complying with pet passport 

regulations as, currently, if people are 

stopped with incorrect paperwork, the 

only consequence is to either disallow 

entry into the country and send away 

the owner with the animal in question, 

or alternatively the animal can be 

placed into quarantine until it complies 

with current regulations. 

However, the owner would need to 

pay all fees associated with quarantine, 

meaning a number of animals are 

likely to be abandoned which could 

eventually lead to their euthanasia. A 

fixed penalty might at least offer some 

deterrent if caught as currently there 

is very little consequence to this illegal 

trafficking. 

Paula also gave guidance on 

recognising some of the diseases vets 

may encounter in animals travelling 

under PETS and offered advice on the 

route vets need to take if they suspect 

an illegal landing of an animal. 

This was a compelling webinar which 

opened my eyes to the reality of the 

risks associated with PETS especially 

when the system has the potential to be 

abused both by unscrupulous vets and 

puppy smugglers. 

It is imperative that all small animal 

vets are aware of any potential issue 

which could occur as a consequence 

of PETS, so it can be appropriately 

managed and reported. This webinar 

provides an excellent platform 

from which to learn more, offering 

information and advice in abundance.

theunpalatabletruth 

The contribution 

of veterinary 

antibiotics towards 

antimicrobial resistance 

can be hard to swallow. 

Of course using them 

responsibly will help, 

but doing so isn’t 

always easy. 

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to help you use our 

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It’s why our range 

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Date of preparation: February 2016

24 NURSING VP MARCH 2016 

One month to mandatory microchipping... 

AS ALL SMALL ANIMAL 

VETS AND NURSES SURELY 

KNOW, from 6th April it will 

become compulsory for all dogs to be 

microchipped. 

Most 

responsible 

dog owners 

would have 

already 

done this 

and there 

are good 

reasons 

to do so 

– reuniting a lost pet being the main 

reason I have my pets microchipped. 

But what does this legislation mean 

for us veterinary nurses working in 

practice? 

Well, it will mean more wriggly 

NIKKI CUMBERBEACH 

examines the new 

rules that all veterinary 

practices must follow 

for the microchipping of 

dogs, as well as the role 

veterinary nurses play in the procedure 

puppies coming in for chipping as the 

law is for all dogs to be chipped by the 

time they are eight weeks old (there are 

exceptions for working dogs, having 

the time extended to 12 weeks – dogs 

having their tails docked must be 

chipped by either a vet or RVN). 

It may be due to this that we start 

using more mini-chips that have 

smaller needles and which are therefore 

easier to use on Chihuahuas and other 

toy breeds. 

The breeder must also be registered 

as the puppy’s first owner rather than 

the person who purchases the puppy 

registering first, so no handing over 

forms for the breeder to input the 

new owner’s details. Presumably this 

will also be the case with rescues and 

previously unchipped dogs. 

It has been left up to the databases 

to set their own charges for changing 

details. If a vet deems that a dog 

cannot be chipped due to health 

reasons, a form approved by the 

secretary of state should be completed. 

Vets will be required to report any 

adverse reactions to microchips and 

also report any migrated chips or failed 

chips to the VMD. What vets are not 

required to do is enforce the system or 

to scan all animals coming into their 

practices. 

There has, however, been a 

petition asking for vets to scan all 

dogs coming into the practice and 

an online campaign, but this would 

be completely impractical. A staff 

member would have to be dedicated 

to checking details on databases and 

then the logistics of dealing with the 

inevitable issues that would arise as 

well as the data protection minefield 

would be as cost-prohibitive for vets 

as I suspect it would be for the local 

authority staff and police to randomly 

scan pets. 

It 

should 

be good 

practice 

already 

to scan 

animals 

in to be 

chipped 

before implanting to make sure 

an existing chip is not already in 

place, as would scanning at booster 

appointments (definitely a requirement 

if a rabies vaccination for a passport!) 

to make sure chips are still working and 

checking for migration of chips. 

It will be an offence to not have your 

dog microchipped and also for not 

updating your details with the database 

if you move. The microchip, however, 

is not a proof of ownership, only that 

the registered owner is the keeper of 

that dog. 

If a dog is not chipped the owner 

can be served with a notice and then 

has 21 days to comply. If this is not 

done then a £500 fine is applied. The 

regulations are breached if contact 

and/or address details are not updated 

and again a notice would be served 

and the keeper would have 21 days to 

comply before the fine is applied. 

If a dog is sold or rehomed, the 

previous keeper is responsible for 

updating the new keeper’s details. 

An end to the frustration? 

This should all help us out when the 

stray dog is brought into the practice, 

as it will help rescue centres and 

charities. We all know the frustration 

of a dog not being chipped, or being 

chipped but the contact details being 

out of date. However, will this new 

legislation really cut the mustard? 

It shouldn’t be forgotten that under 

The Control of Dogs Order 1992 

a dog should wear a collar with the 

name, address and postcode of the 

keeper engraved on it or on a tag when 

the dog is in a public place. The new 

microchip law does not negate this, but 

how many people comply? 

I have an ID tag on my dog but 

it doesn’t have that information – I 

have mine and my partner’s telephone 

Nikki Cumberbeach, RVN, started veterinary nursing in 2000 after 

making a career change. She qualified in 2002 and received the BVNA 

Student Nurse of the Year award. In 2005 she gained the A1 assessor 

qualification and became involved in training veterinary nurses. 

Following 12 years at the practice she qualified in, in 2012 she moved 

to Lincolnshire and is now head nurse at a first opinion small animal 

practice. 

number on it and 

my vet’s number. 

I knew that I was 

required to have 

an ID tag on my 

dog but until I 

researched this 

article I didn’t 

know I wasn’t 

compliant… 

and there are 

many dogs out 

there in public 

places with no 

identification on 

collars. 

Local authority employees and the 

police will be responsible for enforcing 

the microchipping law. We will have 

to wait and see how effective this will 

be and whether already stretched local 

authorities can enforce the law. 

My idealistic mind hopes that puppy 

farms and unscrupulous breeders are 

put off breeding, that we can reunite 

every stray dog that comes through 

our doors and abandoning and abusing 

dogs will be a thing of the past, but I 

doubt it. 

What about all those puppies coming 

through from mainland Europe? Many 

of these puppies come into the UK 

illegally on false passports. But I guess 

we have to try to deal with our own 

country first so it can only be a step in 

the right direction. 

Guidelines on the new legislation 

can be found at the RCVS website 

including a useful flow chart as to 

how to deal with data protection and 

suspected stolen animals or disputed 

ownership. 

Petition: DEFRA unmoved 

on protecting VN title 

THE RCVS petition on protecting the VN title has closed with more 

than 36,000 signatures. Launched last August, by the closing date of 14th 

February 36,862 people had signed it, but DEFRA responded in January 

that, while it recognised the important role that veterinary nurses have 

in animal care, it did not recommend that Parliament give the title legal 

protection. 

Online courses on skin cytology 

and reptile clinical care 

VET CPD is running online 

tutored courses this month for vets, 

veterinary nurses and vet students 

interested in learning more about 

skin cytology and reptile clinical care. 

The skin cytology course, says 

the firm, will give you the basics 

you need for in-house cytology 

from sampling techniques to slide 

examination approach, culminating 

in the cytological presentation of the most common inflammatory and 

neoplastic conditions affecting small animals. 

The reptile course will discuss reptile identification, husbandry and 

handling; hospitalisation; supportive care, critical care and emergency 

treatments; basic diagnostic 

approaches; common diseases and 

treatment options and analgesia 

and anaesthesia in reptiles. 

Courses generate eight hours of 

documented CPD and cost £99 

(plus VAT). 

They can be purchased at www. 

vetcpd.co.uk or by calling 01225 

445561.

26 ORTHOPAEDICS VP MARCH 2016 

A round-up 

of the latest 

literature 

Long term outcomes in 321 

dogs undergoing total hip 

arthroplasty 

Luca Vezzoni and others, Vezzoni 

Veterinary Clinic, Cremona, Italy 

Total hip arthroplasty has been 

performed in dogs since 1976, first 

with cemented prostheses and then 

using cementless devices after 1988. 

The Zurich cementless total hip 

arthroplasty was developed at the 

University of Zurich in the late 1990s 

and is inserted within the medial cortex 

of the femur with locking screws, 

rather than a traditional press-fit 

design. There is anecdotal evidence of 

an increase in complications in cases 

involving younger dogs, which it has 

been suggested may be related to the 

smaller size of the devices used in 

immature dogs. 

The authors describe a study of the 

complications seen in 439 arthroplasty 

procedures in 321 individuals treated 

using a Zurich prosthesis. The dogs 

were classified as being aged either 

above or below 11 months, and all 

cases were followed up for at least 

two years. Their results show that the 

frequency of complications was less 

than 20% in both the juvenile and adult 

groups. Complications were primarily 

related to an increase in body condition 

following surgery. 

Veterinary Surgery 44 (8): 921-929. 

An ultrasound-guided 

technique for hip injections in 

lame dogs 

Chiara Bergamino and others, 

University College, Dublin 

Intra-articular treatment is commonly 

used in human patients with hip 

osteoarthritis with injections given 

under ultrasound guidance to ensure 

safety and accuracy. The authors 

investigated the ultrasound anatomy 

of the canine hip to determine the 

feasibility of giving ultrasound-guided 

injections in both the diagnosis and 

treatment of canine osteoarthritis. 

Using canine cadavers in lateral 

recumbency they were able to locate 

and inject contrast medium into the 

anechoic gap between the femoral head 

and acetabular surface. Based on data 

from post-injection radiography, the 

accuracy was 81.8% at the first attempt 

and 100% at the second. 

Veterinary Radiology and Ultrasound 56 

(4): 456-461. 

Outcomes of tibiotarsal 

fracture repair procedures in 

37 raptors 

Irene Bueno and others, University 

of Minnesota 

Raptors are susceptible to bone 

fractures caused by collisions with 

moving or stationary objects. 

A number of different surgical 

techniques have been described for 

repairing such injuries. The authors 

describe the outcomes when using the 

external skeletal fixator intramedullary 

pin tie-in technique (TIF) for the 

management of tibiotarsal fractures. 

In 31 of 37 cases (84%), the fracture 

was successfully treated with surgical 

reduction and TIF application. In 20 

cases the bird recovered sufficient 

function to be rehabilitated and released 

into the wild. 

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical 

Association 247 (10): 1,154-1,160. 

Elastographic evaluation of 

tendon and ligament injuries of 

the equine distal limb 

Meghann Lustgarten and others, 

North Carolina State University 

Ultrasonography is now the primary 

method used in diagnosing tendon 

and ligament injuries in the horse. 

Elastography is a relatively new 

ultrasound technique using compression 

waves to characterise the stiffness 

of different types of tissue. The 

authors evaluated this technology in 

examinations of naturally occurring 

injuries. Using conventional ultrasound 

and magnetic resonance imaging as the 

standard, they demonstrate the value of 

elastography in detecting small, proximal 

injuries of the hindlimb proximal 

suspensory ligament which may be 

helpful in characterising the chronicity 

and severity of lesions. 

Veterinary Radiology and Ultrasound 56 (6): 

670-679. 

Biomechanical parameters in 

the development of cranial 

cruciate ligament defects 

Nathan Brown and others, University 

of Louisville, Kentucky 

Damage to the cranial cruciate ligament 

is the main orthopaedic condition of 

the stifle joint in dogs. The authors 

assessed the influence of four different 

biomechanical factors – ligament 

stiffness, ligament pre-strain, bodyweight 

and stifle joint friction co-efficient – 

in a pelvic limb computer simulation 

model. Stifle joint outcome measures 

were compared between damaged 

and healthy joints for those different 

parameters. The model predicted that 

ligament pre-strain and bodyweight will 

have a significant influence on stifle 

joint biomechanics, confirming the 

importance of bodyweight management 

in controlling this condition. 

American Journal of Veterinary Research 76 

(11): 952-958. 

Surgical site infections 

following tibial plateau 

levelling osteotomy in dogs 

Alim Nazarali and others, University 

of Guelph, Ontario 

Tibial plateau levelling osteotomy is 

one of the most commonly performed 

orthopaedic surgery techniques, used 

to stabilise the stifle joint following 

cruciate ligament injury. Although 

considered a “clean” procedure, TPLO 

is known to result in a high incidence 

of surgical site infections. The authors 

investigate the association between 

carriage of Staphylococcus pseudointermedius 

and SSIs in 549 dogs treated at seven 

veterinary hospitals. Of these 24 (4.4%) 

were identified as MRSP carriers prior 

to surgery and 37 (6.7%) developed an 

SSI. MRSP carriage was shown to be 

a risk factor for SSIs and measures are 

warranted to rapidly identify and treat 

such individuals. 


Association 247 (8): 909-916. 

Congenital abnormalities of the 

vertebral column in ferrets 

Pavel Proks and others, Brno 

University of Veterinary Sciences, 

Czech Republic 

Congenital abnormalities of the spine 

are frequently identified radiographically 

in dogs but there is much less published 

information on the equivalent lesions 

in other domestic species. The authors 

carried out a retrospective analysis 

of radiographic images from 172 

pet ferrets. Congenital abnormalities 

were evident in 29 animals, or 17%. 

Transitional vertebra represented the 

most common abnormalities occurring in 

the thoracolumbar region in 13 animals, 

in the lumbosacral region in 10, and 

in both regions in three cases. Other 

vertebral abnormalities included block 

and wedge vertebra, with two and one 

cases, respectively. 

Veterinary Radiology and Ultrasound 56 (2): 

117-123. 

Cervical disc herniation in 

chondrodystrophoid and normal 

small-breed dogs 

Takaharu Hakozaki and others, 

Nippon Veterinary and Life Science 

University, Tokyo 

Intervertebral disc disease is one of the 

most common neurological disorders 

in dogs and studies have suggested that 

chondrodystrophoid and small breed 

dogs are more commonly affected. The 

authors investigated the clinical features 

of 187 cases in dogs from both groups. 

Their findings indicate that there are 

breed-specific differences in the character 

of intervertebral disc disease with, for 

example, Yorkshire terriers having a 

significantly greater number of affected 

discs than Dachshunds and also requiring 

a longer recovery time than other breeds. 


Association 247 (12): 1,408-1,411. 

Infrared imaging of normal and 

dysplastic elbows in dogs 

Lauren McGowan and others, Long 

Island Veterinary Specialists, New 

York 

Canine elbow dysplasia is one of the 

leading causes of forelimb lameness in 

dogs but its diagnosis can be challenging 

and localising the site of pain can be 

difficult because of the subtle clinical 

signs. The authors investigate the 

ability of medical infrared radiation 

to differentiate between healthy 

and dysplastic elbows. Imaging was 

performed on 15 normal and 14 

abnormal elbows and the data analysed 

using descriptive statistics and image 

pattern analysis software. Their results 

indicate that the software was up to 

100% accurate in identifying abnormal 

and normal elbows with a medial 

presentation providing the most useful 

images. 

Veterinary Surgery 44 (7): 874-882. 

Detection of early-stage arthritis 

in horses with radiography and 

low-field MRI 

Charles Ley and others, Swedish 

University of Agricultural Sciences, 

Uppsala 

Validated non-invasive detection 

methods for early osteoarthritis are 

required for the prevention and prompt 

treatment of the condition. The authors 

evaluate the role of radiography and 

low-field magnetic resonance imaging 

in detecting early-stage osteochondral 

lesions in equine centrodistal joints using 

microscopy as the reference standard. 

In studies on live Icelandic horses and 

cadaver samples, they show that both 

imaging methods were effective in 

diagnosis of early stage lesions. The 

detection of mineralisation front defects 

may be a useful screening tool in young 

horses. 

Equine Veterinary Journal 48 (1): 57-64. 

Bone mineral density 

characteristics of racehorses 

with condylar fractures 

Sophie Bogers and others, Virginia- 

Maryland College of Veterinary 

Medicine 

Catastrophic injuries of the third 

metacarpal bone and suspensory 

apparatus are the most common cause 

of death in racing thoroughbreds. The 

authors compared the bone mineral 

density of the distal epiphysis of this 

bone in post mortem samples from horses 

with, and without, a condylar fracture. 

Their results suggest that the bone 

characteristics of the distal epiphysis will 

reflect the training load and that the early 

signs of fracture are very subtle. Serial 

imaging in conjunction with detailed 

training data would be required to 

identify the onset of pathological injuries. 


(1): 32-38. 

Focal defect resembling a 

subchondral bone cyst of the 

ulnar trochlear notch 

Kelly Makielski and others, University 

of Wisconsin-Madison 

Subchondral bone cyst-like lesions 

are commonly reported in horses, 

humans and pigs but appear to be an 

unusual feature in dogs. The authors 

describe what they believe to be the 

first published report of a subchondral 

bone cyst in the ulnar of a dog. The 

affected animal was a 13-month-old 

spayed female Golden retriever/Standard 

poodle cross which presented with an 

intermittent right forelimb lameness. 

Physical examination revealed marked 

effusion and decreased flexion in the 

right elbow joint. Radiography showed 

mild osteophytosis and computed 

tomography indicated a focal defect in 

the subchondral bone in the trochlear 

notch resembling a subchondral bone 

cyst. 

Journal of the American Animal Hospital 

Association 51 (1): 20-24.

VP MARCH 2016 ORTHOPAEDICS 27 

Be co-ordinated to maintain mobility 

MOBILITY IS A PROBLEM 

THAT AFFECTS MANY OF OUR 

VETERINARY PATIENTS, both 

short term in association with systemic 

illness or injury and longer term due 

to chronic problems like degenerative 

joint disease. 

A pet that isn’t mobile can’t ask 

for attention, 

JAMES HOWIE 

accompany 

its owner on 

outings or 

even play out 

its normal role 

at the centre 

of family 

life. Reduced 

interaction 

means there are 

of Lintbells says 

only by involving 

the whole team 

in a co-ordinated, 

holistic programme of care can 

we be sure that all the needs of 

pets and owners are met 

fewer opportunities to bond, which can 

affect the pet’s overall well-being. If 

left, it can become a welfare issue. 

While the obesity issue has quite 

rightly become high profile, mobility 

is a substantial issue in its own right 

and the two are often linked. It’s often 

quoted that one in five dogs over the 

age of a year have osteoarthritis but 

that figure arguably masks the 80% of 

dogs over eight years that are affected. 1 

Studies have shown that even more 

cats might be experiencing difficulties 

with mobility. One study found 

radiographic evidence of degenerative 

joint disease in 90% of geriatric 

cats, with severe lesions reported in 

the elbows of 17% of cats and the 

presence of neurological disease 

associated with lesions in the vertebral 

column. 2 It is estimated that around 

60 to 90% of cats have radiographic 

evidence of arthritis in limb joints. 3 

As fewer cats tend to be presented 

to practices than dogs, it’s clear that a 

large number of these animals are not 

benefiting from professional veterinary 

care. Persuading owners that there is 

an issue and that help and support is 

available is often a major obstacle that 

has to be overcome. It is a widespread 

problem and we are probably still just 

touching the tip of the iceberg with 

those that are seen in practice. 

Consequences of pain 

and immobility 

It’s now well established that there is 

no “good pain”. 4 This may have been 

contentious in the past, with some 

arguing that pain leads to restricted 

activity and that this can be important 

to allow healing. However, this has 

since been refuted. 4 

The consequences of enforced 

immobility can be far-reaching. 

Some of these are obvious such as 

an increased likelihood of obesity if 

the pet continues to be fed the same 

amount of calories when exercise is 

reduced. There is also the potential 

for behavioural problems due to lack 

of environmental enrichment and 

opportunities to socialise. 

Physiologically, 

the effects of 

immobility due 

to pain can be 

far worse than 

just muscle 

atrophy and 

subsequent 

weakness, 

although that 

in itself puts 

additional strain on the joints. Other 

consequences can include bone atrophy 

as a result of increased resorption of 

bone and significant atrophy of the 

soft tissues, such as the joint meniscus 

and ligaments. 5 Overall, this can result 

in a reduction in strength of the boneligament-bone 

complex and, most 

likely, more joint instability. 

In human and animal models, 

physical activity also has beneficial 

effects on glucose metabolism, 

strength of the respiratory muscles and 

maintenance of left ventricular mass 

and function. 6 

So clearly, appropriate pain relief 

plays an important role in restoring and 

maintaining mobility. Physiotherapy 

techniques and rehabilitation medicine 

is an increasingly important area and 

at practice level there is a role for 

customised exercise plans for animals 

with deteriorating mobility, or for those 

in recovery regaining mobility. 

Having adequate knowledge and 

sources of appropriate aids such as 

ramps, harnesses and suitable toys is 

also essential, as is working alongside 

reputable paraprofessionals such as 

hydrotherapy centres to ensure the 

animal benefits from care as and when 

it is needed. 

Nutrition and mobility 

It is vital that all pets receive a dietary 

recommendation, as per WSAVA 

guidelines, appropriate to lifestage. 7 

Supplements shouldn’t be advised 

purely as a route to bolster a lowquality 

diet. 

High biological value proteins will 

help support muscle and other tissues 

and meet protein and amino acid 

requirements. Some pets may have 

higher calorie requirements in recovery, 

while others may need a diet that 

promotes weight loss if immobility is 

linked to weight gain. 

Adipose tissue is known to result 

in the release of adipokines, many 

of which are metabolically active 

and induce a pro-inflammatory state 

through the arachidonic acid cascade. 8 

Chronic, low-grade inflammation may 

account for the pathophysiology of 

arthritis in obese patients. Overweight 

and obese dogs were shown in one 

study to be more likely to suffer 

arthritis than non-obese cohorts, with 

rates of disease reported at 83% and 

50% respectively. 9 

Supplementation can be a useful 

way to deliver specific nutrients 

that support pet mobility. As the 

supplement is given daily by mouth, the 

amount consumed need not depend on 

the pet’s voluntary food intake. 

Working together 

Vets and nurses can play a key role 

in ensuring pet owners receive a 

recommendation for the highest quality 

supplements backed by an evidence 

base. The format and acceptability of 

the preparation is also important in 

making a guided recommendation for 

optimum, long-term compliance. 

In dealing with mobility issues, it’s 

clear that practices must embrace a 

multi-modal approach – providing 

adequate pain relief, advice about diet 

and supplements, employing good 

rehabilitation and exercise plans and 

teaching owners the necessary skills to 

help them care for and support their 

pet in its recovery. 

This means involving the whole 

practice team in a co-ordinated, holistic 

programme of care. Only in this way 

can we be sure that all the needs of the 

pet and owner are met. 

1. Johnston, S. A. (1997) Osteoarthritis: 

joint anatomy, physiology, and 

pathobiology. Vet Clin North Am Small 

Anim Pract 27: 699-723. 

2. Hardie, E. M., Roe, S. C. and Martin, 

F. R. (2002) Radiographic evidence of 

degenerative joint disease in geriatric 

cats: 100 cases (1994-1997). J Am Vet 

Med Assoc 220 (5): 628-632. 

3. http://icatcare.org/advice/cathealth/arthritis-and-degenerative-jointdisease-cats 

4. Sparkes, A., Helene, R., Lascelles, 

B. D. et al (2010) ISFM and AAFP 

consensus guidelines: long-term use 

continued overleaf 

Don’t let arthritis stop 

the adventure 

Drink 

Me... 

Eat Me... 

James Howie, BVetMed, MRCVS, qualified from the RVC in 2000 

and worked in mixed and small animal practice before becoming 

veterinary director of Lintbells where he works to develop suitable 

care programmes to support veterinary practices. 

Manufactured and distributed in NI by: Norbrook Laboratories Ltd, Station Works, Newry, Co. Down, BT35 6JP. 

Distributed in GB by: Norbrook Laboratories (GB) Ltd, 1 Saxon Way East, Oakley Hay Industrial Estate, Corby, NN18 9EX. 

Legal Category: POM-V Loxicom® contains meloxicam. Further information is available from the manufacturer on request. 

3519-SA(C)-UK-v1-21/10/15

28 ORTHOPAEDICS VP MARCH 2016 

Subjective gait assessment in dogs: 

some of the basics 

DETECTING AND GRADING 

LAMENESS IN DOGS, especially 

that of the pelvic limb, can be 

challenging. 

At least two studies (Waxman, 2008; 

Quinn, 2007) have demonstrated poor 

agreement between clinicians, and 

between subjective scores and force 

platform results. 

Still, gait analysis BEN WALTON 

is a skill that 

can be learned 

and constantly 

improved, but 

resources on 

the subject are 

scarce. 

In a small 

survey of 

six orthopaedic-minded colleagues 

(including three specialists) on the 

kinematic markers that they look for 

when assessing lameness, there was 

unanimous consensus that a “head 

nod” is the most useful marker for 

thoracic limb lameness. 

At stand, approximately 60% of a 

dog’s bodyweight is distributed via the 

two thoracic limbs. The cranio-caudal 

centre of gravity (COG) of a dog is 

believed to lie just behind the elbow. 

This is because the head and the neck 

“overhang” the forelimbs by some 

distance, whereas there is very little 

mass overhanging the pelvic limbs 

caudally (only the tail). 

This overhang of mass offers the 

dog an opportunity to shift the COG 

in a caudal direction by elevating the 

head and effectively shortening the 

lever-arm of the head and neck mass 

(see Figure 1). 

If we are considering lameness as 

an adaptation to reduce force transfer 

through a painful region, then this 

shift of mass may be an effective and 

reliable way to reduce force through 

the forelimbs. 

Remember 

says that detecting 

and describing 

lameness properly 

can be challenging 

but that accurate assessment is 

easily achievable with some basic 

knowledge and technology 

Newton’s 

second law of 

motion: “Force 

= Mass x 

Acceleration”. 

In the same 

survey as above, 

there was no 

consensus on a 

single marker for pelvic limb lameness, 

and the total list was much longer. 

There is much less capacity for dogs 

to shift their COG further forward 

to reduce mass through hind limbs. 

This does occur, and dogs with severe, 

bilateral hind-limb lameness may 

ambulate with very low head carriage, 

or even completely on their forelimbs. 

Some dogs also demonstrate a 

confusing hind-limb lameness head 

nod. However, there is a more reliable 

and repeatable marker for asymmetric 

hind limb lameness: the pelvic lift. 

If the head nod aims to reduce the 

“mass” in Newton’s equation, the 

pelvic lift may be an adaptation to 

reduce the “acceleration”. Not the 

forward acceleration of the dog as a 

whole, but the downward acceleration 

Ben Walton, BVSc, DSAS(Orth), MRCVS, RCVS Specialist in Small 

Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics), graduated from the Liverpool 

veterinary school in 2002 and is now an orthopaedic surgeon at 

Chestergates Veterinary Specialists. He previously worked at the 

Liverpool Small Animal Teaching Hospital for five years and before 

that spent six years in general small animal practice, two years in 

mixed practice, and also operated a peripatetic surgery referral 

service. His clinical research interests include gait analysis and the 

“measurement” of orthopaedic disease. 

Be co-ordinated to maintain mobility – continued 

of NSAIDs in cats. Journal of Feline guidelines/global-nutritionguidelines 

Medicine and Surgery 12: 521-538. 

5. Klein, L., Player, J. S., Heiple K. 8. Eisele, I., Wood, I. S., German, 

G., Bahniuk, E. and Goldberg, V. A. J., Hunter, L. and Trayhurn, P. 

M. (1982) Isotopic evidence for (2005) Adipokine gene expression 

resorption of soft tissues and bone in dog adipose tissues and dog white 

in immobilized dogs. J Bone Joint Surg adipocytes differentiated in primary 

Am 64 (2): 225-230. 

culture. Hormone and Metabolic 

6. Gielen, S., Schuler, G. and Adams, Research 37: 474-481. 

V. (2010) Exercise in Cardiovascular 9. Kealy, R. D., Lawler, D. F., Ballam, 

Disease, Cardiovascular Effects J. M. et al (2000) Evaluation of the 

of Exercise Training. Molecular effect of limited food consumption 

Mechanisms 122: 1,221-1,238. on radiographic evidence of 

7. Global nutrition guidelines, osteoarthritis in dogs. J Am Vet Med 

WSAVA: www.wsava.org/ 

Assoc 217: 1,678-1,680. 

Figure 1. Head nod adaptation in forelimb lameness. The red dot represents 

the dog’s centre of gravity (COG). By elevating the head, the moment arm 

of the head and neck “cantilever” is shortened, the COG moves caudally, 

and the force supported by the forelimb is reduced. 

Figure 2. A gait cycle from a trotting dog with left pelvic limb lameness. 

Note the difference in pelvis height between picture 2 (start of stance phase 

of the lame, left hind limb) and picture 4 (start of stance phase of the 

sound, right hind limb). 

of bodyweight as the painful limb 

enters stance phase. The dog effectively 

“throws” its pelvis upwards, minimally 

supporting it with the painful limb, 

and “catches” it again when the nonpainful 

limb enters stance phase. 

In Figure 2, compare the height 

of the pelvis in image 2 (lame, left 

hind-limb in stance phase) with that in 

image 4 (sound, right hind-limb stance 

phase). By carefully watching a dog at 

trot, the observer can appreciate the 

pelvic lift, and identify the lame hind 

limb as the one starting stance phase 

when the pelvis is at its highest point. 

Unlike the forelimb lameness head 

nod, which is usually evident at walk 

and trot, the pelvic lift is best assessed 

in the trotting dog. At a walk, other gait 

adaptations to pelvic limb lameness are 

easier to observe. 

One is a difference in stance time: 

the dog will generally try to spend less 

time with the painful limb in weight 

bearing: this is best appreciated by 

trying to appreciate a difference in paw 

speed during the swing phase of each 

limb. When a limb is in swing phase, 

the opposite limb is, by definition, 

in stance phase. The sound limb will 

generally move through swing phase 

more quickly in order to minimise the 

duration of the stance phase of the 

lame limb. 

Another useful kinematic marker 

for pelvic limb lameness at walking 

gait is the “hip sway”. Some resources 

describe the hip sway as being 

characteristic of hip dysplasia, but 

in fact it may be present in other 

conditions. For example, many dogs 

with failure of the cranial cruciate 

ligament (CCL) walk with a more 

flexed stifle (see Figure 3). 

This stifle flexion effectively 

“shortens” the working length of 

Figure 3. The dog pictured has rupture of the left CCL. At the start of stance 

phase, the right stifle is held at an angle of 140º (within the normal range), 

but the left stifle is in a more flexed position: this is a reported adaptation 

in CCL failure.

VP MARCH 2016 ORTHOPAEDICS 29 

Joint conference of 

ESVOT and BVOA 

in September 

THE European Society of Veterinary 

Orthopaedics and Traumatology 

(ESVOT) and the British Veterinary 

Orthopaedic Association (BVOA) are 

holding a collaborative conference at 

the Queen Elizabeth II Conference 

Centre in London from 8th to 10th 

September. 

This, say the organisers, will be 

the largest gathering of veterinary 

orthopaedic experts and practitioners 

in the world, with the aim of sharing 

research and best practice on the 

latest cutting-edge developments in 

orthopaedics and traumatology. 

For details go to www.esvot.org. 

the limb. To compensate for this 

shortening, the dog may walk with a 

more extended tarsus, but may also 

regain lost stride length by lateral 

bending of the spine to “swing” the 

pelvis towards the lame side: this is 

another useful marker to look for in 

asymmetric hind limb lameness. In 

cases of bilateral CCL failure, this 

pelvic swinging may occur bilaterally, 

resulting in a “swaying gait”. 

Dogs and cats have an impressive 

capacity to adapt their gaits in response 

to pain, mechanical limitations and 

New support 

slings for dogs 

ORTHOPETS Europe has introduced 

the GingerLead Support Sling, 

the latest addition to its range of 

rehabilitative products for elderly, 

recuperating and special needs dogs. 

The firm 

has been 

appointed 

European 

distributor 

of this 

padded sling 

which has a 

detachable 

leash allowing the handler to not only 

support the hindquarters, but also 

maintain control at the front end – all 

neurologic deficits. Detecting and 

describing lameness properly within 

the temporal and spatial constraints 

of a typical consultation can be 

challenging. But, with some basic 

knowledge (and a slow-motion app for 

your smartphone), accurate assessment 

is easily achievable. 

• The author has posted a video 

tutorial on canine lameness assessment 

on YouTube, and will be presenting 

an interactive session rich in video 

resources at VetsNorth 2016 on 22nd 

June. 

with one hand; and the “easy on/easy 

off ” fitting, says the firm, is ideal for 

dogs just requiring hind end support 

when rising or gaiting. 

The product is designed for shortterm 

use and not to be left on a dog. 

There are seven sizes for toy through 

to giant breed dogs, with “male” 

versions also available. Prices start 

at £29.95. For details go to www. 

orthopets.co.uk. 

How accurate 

are you in 

administering 

joint injections? 

DR Kathryn Seabaugh, assistant 

professor of equine lameness and 

sports medicine at the University 

of Georgia College of Veterinary 

Medicine in the US, and colleagues 

recently conducted a study on the 

accuracy of practitioners when 

injecting lower hock joints in horses. 

The results were presented at the 

2015 American Association of Equine 

Practitioners’ Convention held in Las 

Vegas last December. 

“Intra-articular diagnostic 

anaesthesia and therapeutic injections 

are relied upon to help diagnose and 

treat osteoarthritis in the lower hock 

joints,” she said. “But the medication 

can only be effective if veterinarians 

are accurate, and the distal hock joints 

can be a very challenging area to inject, 

especially if the horse already has 

osteoarthritis present.” 

Dr Seabaugh and her team evaluated 

a group of six equine surgeons and 

surgery residents at the college. 

Each injected two distal intertarsal 

(DIT) joints and two tarsometatarsal 

(TMT) joints with a contrast medium. 

The team then took radiographs to 

determine where the contrast medium 

was located within the joint. 

The researchers found that the 

group successfully injected 23 of 24 

TMT joints, for a success rate of 96%; 

but were less successful at injecting 

DIT joints, achieving a success rate 

of only 42% (10 out of 24). They also 

noted that experience did not appear to 

significantly improve injection accuracy. 

Dr Seabaugh recommended that 

veterinarians use radiographs to ensure 

proper needle placement before 

injecting the DIT joint. “They might 

not be required for every injection 

but they could help improve injection 

confidence and improve technique and 

they can be very helpful when injecting 

horses with osteoarthritis. Horses with 

OA often have narrowed joint spaces 

or proliferative bone, making getting 

the needle into these joints even more 

challenging,” she said. 

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30 DERMATOLOGY VP MARCH 2016 

GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG PYODERMA 

GSD PYODERMA IS 

CLASSIFIED AS A DEEP 

PYODERMA with furunculosis 

and cellulitis frequently observed. 

Although there are many underlying 

causes for deep pyodermas, in general 

the problem in 

German shepherd 

dogs is often 

idiopathic with a 

guarded outlook 

for cure. Many 

such cases require 

life-long therapy 

DAVID GRANT 

continues his 

series looking at 

dermatological 

conditions 

and euthanasia may be requested by 

the owner in severe cases. 

Cause 

• Staphylococcus pseudintermedius 

is considered to be the primary 

pathogen. 

• Other bacteria such as E. 

coli, Proteus and Pseudomonas can 

aggravate the clinical picture due to 

opportunistic infection. 

• Underlying allergic diseases to 

be considered include atopy, fleabite 

hypersensitivity, and food 

hypersensitivity. 

• Underlying endocrine disorders, 

of which hyperadrenocorticism 

and hypothyroidism are the most 

important. 

• Parasitic 

infestation 

particularly 

Demodex canis 

and also fleas 

and Sarcoptes 

scabiei. 

• It is considered to be a familial 

immunologically mediated deep 

pyoderma in German shepherd dogs 

(Miller, Griffin and Campbell, 2013). 

• Studies have shown that affected 

dogs have an increased number of 

CD8 + and decreased numbers of 

CD4 + and CD21 + lymphocytes in 

their circulation. Immunopathological 

studies of skin biopsies have also 

demonstrated markedly fewer T 

lymphocytes in affected dogs. 

David Grant, MBE, BVetMed, CertSAD, FRCVS, graduated from the 

RVC in 1968 and received his FRCVS by examination in 1978. He was 

hospital director at RSPCA Harmsworth for 25 years until his retirement 

from the RSPCA and is currently engaged in writing and lecturing 

internationally, mainly in veterinary dermatology. 

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Clinical signs 

• Signs of German 

shepherd pyoderma 

are usually very severe 

and require intensive 

investigation and 

treatment. 

• Lesions more typical of 

superficial pyoderma may 

exist initially. These consist 

of papules, pustules, 

epidermal collarettes and 

crusts. They may easily be 

missed in the early stages 

due to the thick coat. 

• Later, and often 

quite quickly, the 

lesions progress to deep 

folliculitis/furunculosis, 

with exudation, a serosanguinous 

discharge and ulceration (Figure 1). 

These lesions can be quite extensive 

and demonstrable by clipping as in the 

figure. This dog had also lost weight 

and was systemically unwell. 

Diagnosis 

• The presence of blood and 

pus clearly identifiable on visual 

examination and made more obvious 

by squeezing the skin. There may be 

extensive crusting and ulceration. 

• Cytology. There is a severe 

pyogranulomatous inflammation with 

many toxic neutrophils. Bacteria (cocci, 

and in severe cases rods) may be seen. 

• Skin scrapings for parasites. 

• Biopsy. This may identify Demodex 

in cases of chronic cases where 

lichenification has made positive 

identification from skin scrapings 

difficult. 

• Bacterial culture. This is essential 

in all cases as appropriate antibacterial 

therapy needs to be identified by 

antibacterial sensitivity testing. 

• A determined effort should be 

made to identify possible underlying 

factors. 

• Routine haematology and 

biochemistry. 

• Dynamic function tests for 

hyperadrenocorticism. 

• Thyroid function tests. 

• Allergy investigation to include 

food trials and possible allergy testing 

(intradermal testing or serology). These 

tests are best considered in those cases 

where remission has been obtained, 

though not maintained, and where the 

history, physical examination, and rule 

out of other causes suggests atopy 

and in addition immunomodulatory 

treatment has been discussed and 

agreed with the owner. 

Treatment 

• Identify underlying causes and treat 

them. Also ensure that parasite control 

is comprehensive. 

• Systemic antibacterial treatment 

Figure 1. German shepherd pyoderma in a 

three-year-old dog. Extensive investigations 

failed to find an underlying cause and the dog 

responded poorly to antibacterial treatment. 

There is severe ulceration, crusting, and scaling 

involving a large area as demonstrated after 

clipping. 

with antibiotics effective for 

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, as 

identified from sensitivity testing, at the 

correct manufacturer’s dose and until 

remission from clinical signs with an 

additional two weeks. This may involve 

several months or more. 

• Topical therapy during this time 

with antibacterial shampoos such as 

chlorhexidine/miconazole (Malaseb, 

Dechra) and with whirlpool baths. 

• Topical therapy alone may help in 

preventing a relapse in recurrent cases. 

Prognosis 

• The clinical course is variable. 

Affected dogs have deep skin 

infections that resolve slowly and recur 

frequently. Either there is no definable 

cause of the infection or if one is 

defined, flea infestation for example, 

the severity of the infection is well out 

of proportion to the stimulus (Miller, 

Griffin and Campbell, 2013). 

• Where an underlying cause is found 

and treated aggressively, remission can 

be obtained and with treatment of the 

underlying cause recurrence prevented. 

• In other cases there is either a poor 

response to treatment or the problem 

recurs frequently. 

• For these frustrating cases life-long 

control is required, which may be 

difficult, often leading to requests for 

euthanasia. Many of these cases may 

be assumed to have a cell-mediated 

immune deficiency (Miller, W. H., 

1991). 

References and 

further reading 

Miller, W. H. (1991) Deep pyoderma in 

two German shepherd dogs associated 

with a cell mediated immunodeficiency. 

J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 27: 513. 

Miller, W. H., Griffin, C. G. and 

Campbell, K. L. (2003) In: Muller and 

Kirk’s Small Animal Dermatology, 7th 

edition, pp203-205. Elsevier. 

Paterson, S. (2008) In: Manual of skin 

diseases of the dog and cat, 2nd edition, 

pp44-45. Blackwell Publishing.

VP MARCH 2016 NUTRITION 31 

Pet obesity: playing the blame game 

DESPITE IMPROVED 

EDUCATION, SPECIALISED 

DIETS AND MEDIA 

ATTENTION, obesity continues to 

be a growing problem within the pet 

population with an estimated 20% 

considered to be clinically obese. 4 

Obesity is now viewed as an 

incurable chronic disease requiring 

long-term management and careful 

monitoring in order to re-establish 

and maintain a patient’s ideal body 

condition. 

LEE DANKS 

Often forgetting 

that obesity is 

so complex and 

the condition is 

multifactorial, 

many digress to 

playing “the blame 

game”: the owner 

is to blame; the 

pet; the busy vet 

practitioner or 

even busier veterinary nurse… or is it 

commercial food companies? 

In our role as educators, 

communicating the importance of 

appropriate feeding is essential. It goes 

without saying that owners want the 

best for their pets in order to maintain 

a healthy and fulfilling relationship and 

this provides us with a nice starting 

block. Commencing the conversation 

about diet and exercise with regards 

to the pet’s individual needs should 

begin as early as possible, well before 

mismatched habits take hold or 

undesirable weight gain occurs. 

Take advantage of 

owner enthusiasm 

An ideal time to introduce the topics 

of both diet and weight management is 

during the primary vaccination course, 

or during puppy parties or kitten clubs. 

At this point we can take advantage 

of the owners’ enthusiasm and bring 

attention to normal, healthy weight 

gain as a product of growth. 

A full health consultation should 

include an assessment of the current 

weight, body condition, the individual’s 

energy requirements and diet. 

Within this conversation, the pet’s 

Maintenance Energy Requirement 

(MER) can be determined, taking into 

account the many factors which affect 

it. 

Breed, age, lifestyle and energy 

expenditure, reproductive status 

in the 2nd of 

his new series 

reminds us 

that obesity is 

a complex and multifactorial 

condition, which requires the 

juggling of patient, dietary 

and environmental factors 

and even skin and coat condition 

can all affect how many calories 

should be delivered to the pet on a 

daily basis. An assessment of a pet’s 

energy requirements, coupled with a 

critique of what they are being fed, 

should be part of everyday wellness 

consultations. 

The use of weight assessment 

tools such as Body Condition Score 

charts can also instigate owner buyin, 

particularly as scoring and weight 

measures can easily 

be done outside of 

the consultation 

room with 

adequate training 

and practice. 

This is also 

a good time to 

discuss diet – 

particularly the 

many types and 

formats of food 

available – and the correct amount for 

that pet, as manufacturers’ guidelines 

can be challenging to interpret, leading 

to overfeeding. 

When it comes to bespoke “MER” 

advice, we are all acutely aware that 

different breeds at different life stages 

have different nutritional needs, most 

dramatically demonstrated when 

comparing growing large and small 

breed dogs. 

Small dogs have a shorter phase 

of rapid growth and will therefore 

reach (their smaller) adult size in less 

time than larger breeds. 5 It’s wise 

to recognise this and prevent an 

imbalance of calories, particularly 

in relation to providing appropriate 

micronutrients (calcium and 

phosphorus). Many studies attest 

to the increased risk of weight gain 

with neutering 10 , so this should be 

highlighted to the owner well ahead of 

the procedure. 

If increases in body condition scores 

are detected by the owner, veterinarian 

or nurse, the decision to move to a 

clinical weight management diet should 

be made. 

A general rule of thumb is that 

weight gain in excess of 10-15% of 

ideal body weight necessitates a change. 

A clinical diet should be formulated to 

achieve safe weight loss and high levels 

of satiety. 

In all circumstances choosing an 

appropriate caloric load is our starting 

Lee Danks, BVMS, BSc, MRCVS, Royal Canin’s veterinary scientific 

support manager, graduated in 2003. After working in small 

animal practice both in Australia and the UK, Lee also managed an 

independent veterinary group in London which grew from two to four 

sites during his stewardship. Since 2010 Lee has held marketing and 

business support roles in Royal Canin’s UK office and now provides 

technical support and helps circulate the company’s nutritional knowhow 

as part of the scientific communications team. 

point. Skilled weight management 

nurses, many sophisticated computer 

programs and refined feeding 

guidelines are brilliant at building 

the bridge between patient MERs 

and diet caloric density, indicated as 

Metabolisable Energy (ME). 

However, be aware that with 

standard diets, ME is often a difficult 

measure to find as, unlike in the 

US, UK pet food manufacturers 

are not required to state the ME on 

commercial diet labels. 2 

We instead rely on product literature, 

technical diet detailers, nutritional 

helplines or the online energy 

calculators 9 and apps. 10 

Communication is the key 

The key to tackling the problem 

of pet obesity is, of course, 

effective communication with the 

owner. Our challenge is to juggle 

patient, environmental and dietary 

factors simultaneously. Nutritional 

management should remain consistent 

throughout the pet’s life, requiring 

monitoring by the owner and 

veterinary team. 

The role of exercise, environmental 

stimulation and conscientious feeding 

practices should be made clear to 

the owner. Obesity is a multifactorial 

condition and in nearly all cases, the 

blame cannot be assigned to a single 

cause. 

Prevention is of course best, and 

these key conversations with the owner 

must begin early to dispel myths, 

instil good habits and lay a healthy 

foundation for the pet’s future. 

References and further reading 

1. Chan, D. (2014) The epidemic of pet 

obesity – are vets to blame? London Vet 

Show Proceedings, pp42-43. 

2. Dzanis, D. (2015) Does your pet product 

label comply with the new AAFCO calorie 

statement regulations? Available online 

from: http://www.petfoodindustry. 

com/articles/5182-does-your-pet- 

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT 

PROGRAMME 

1 

 

4 

7 

OVERWEIGHT 

• Ribs, lumbar vertebrae, 

pelvic bones and all bony 

prominences evident from 

a distance 

• No discernible e body fat 

2 

• Obvious loss of muscle 

mas s 

IDEAL IDEAL 

 

• Ribs easily palpable with 

minimal fat covering 

• Waist easily noted when 

viewed from above 

• Abdominal tuc ck evident 

5 

• Ribs palpable 

with 

difficulty, heav vy fat cover 

• Noticeable fat deposits over 

lumbar area an nd base of tail 

• Waist absent or barely 

visible 

8 

• Abdominal tuc ck may be 

absent 

BODY CONDITION SCORE 

LARGE DOG 

TOO THIN 

OBESE 

product-label-comply-with-the-new- 

aafco-calorie-statement-regulations 

[accessed 05/02/16]. 

3. Flynn, M., Hardie, E. and Amstrong, 

P. (1996) Effect of ovariohysterectomy 

on maintenance energy requirement of 

cats. Journal of the American Veterinary 

Medical Association 209 (9): 1,572-1,581. 

4. German, A. (2012) Weight control 

and obesity in companion animals. 

Veterinary Focus 22 (2): 38-46. 

5. Hawthorne, A., Booles, D., Nugent, 

P., Gettinby, G. and Wilkinson, J. 

(2004) Body-weight changes during 

growth in puppies of different breeds. 

The Journal of Nutrition 134 (s): 2,027- 

2,030. 

6. Hoenig, M. and Ferguson, D. 

(2002) Effects of neutering on 

hormonal concentrations and energy 

requirements in male and female cats. 


(5): 634-639. 

7. Jeusette, I., Detilleux, J., Cuvelier, 

C., Istasse, L., Diez, M. (2004) Ad 

libitum feeding following ovariectomy 

in female beagle dogs: effect on 

maintenance energy requirements and 

blood metabolites. Journal of Animal 

Physiology and Animal Nutrition (Berl) 88 

(3-4): 117-121. 

8. Lefebvre, S., Mingyin, Yang M., 

Wang, M., Elliott, D., Buff, P. and 

Lund, E. (2013) Effect of age at 

gonadectomy on the probability of 

dogs becoming overweight. Journal 

of the American Veterinary Medical 

Association 243 (2): 236-243. 

9. Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association 

(2015) Adult Dog Calorie Calculator. 

Available online: http://www.pfma.org. 

uk/dog-calorie-calculator. 

10. Royal Canin SAS (2014) Energy 

Calculator (Cat and Dog). Available 

online: https://itunes.apple.com/us/ 

app/energy-calculator-cat-and-dog/ 

id917317961?mt=8. 

11. www.wsava.org. 2012. Nutrition 

toolkit. Available at: http://www.wsava. 

org/nutrition-toolkit. [Accessed 08 

February 16]. 

• Ribs, lumba ar vertebrae, 

and pelvic bones easily 

visible 

• No palpable fat 

• Some bony prominences 

visible from 

a distance 

• Minimal loss of muscle 

mass 

3 

• Ribs palpable without 

excess fat covering 

• Waist observed behind 

ribs when vie wed from 

above 

6 

• Abdomen tucked up 

when viewe ed from side 

• Ribs not palpable under 

very heavy fat cover or 

palpable only with 

significant 

ifi 

pressure 

• Heavy fat de eposits over 

lumbar area a and base of tail 

• Waist absent 

• No abdomi nal tuck 

• Obvious abdominal 

distension may be present 

OBESE 

9 

OVERWEIGHT 

• Ribs easily palpable 

and may be visible with 

no palpable fat 

• 

Tops of lumbr vertebrae 

 

visible, pelvic bones 

becomi 

ng prominent 

• Obvious waist and 

abdominal tuck 

• Ribs palpable with slight 

excess of fat covering 

• Waist is discernible when 

viewed from above 

but is not prominent 

• Abdominal tuck apparent 

• Massive fat deposits over 

thorax, spine, and base 

of tail 

• Waist and abdominal 

tuck absent 

• Fat deposits on neck and 

limbs 

• Obvious abdominal 

distensionion 

© ROYAL CANIN SAS 2014 - All rights reserved. Adapted from Laflamme DP. Development and validation of a body condition score system for dogs. Canine practice vol 22, N° 4, 1997 Code:18818

32 LIVESTOCK VP MARCH 2016 

Plenty of advice at first UK dairy 

sheep and goat conference 

THE MAJORITY OF LARGE 

ANIMAL PRACTICES are likely 

to have one or two sheep or goat 

milking units on the practice list. These 

units may be few in number but their 

veterinary requirements are specific 

and demanding. 

Friars Moor Livestock Health 

of Sturminster Newton, Dorset, 

recognised that 

this important RICHARD GARD 

area of milk 

production was 

under-resourced 

and arranged the 

first UK Dairy 

Sheep and Goat 

Conference. 

Initially it 

was thought that maybe 40 people 

would attend but the registrations soon 

climbed to 70 and, on the day, 50 vets 

attended plus 50 producers and 20 

people from companies with an active 

interest. 

Also launched was the Friars Moor 

Sheep and Goat Dairying Veterinary 

Consultancy and contacts have been 

developed with advisers overseas, 

reports from this 

inaugural event, set 

up by a livestock 

health company to 

discuss and tackle the big issues 

affecting the dairy industry 

where commercial production issues 

are well recognised. 

There were delegates from abroad 

who contributed to the discussions. 

The producers are enthusiastic about 

their businesses and were ready to 

clarify aspects raised by the speakers 

and challenge any figures that might 

lead to negative issues about sheep 

and goat 

management. 

On many 

occasions 

it was 

highlighted 

that specific 

studies had 

not been 

carried out 

and that data from other species and 

systems were cross-referenced. 

Surveillance data are also lacking 

and veterinary surgeons were anxious 

to quantify the depth and breadth of 

clinical and production issues. It will be 

important for practices to collect UKrelevant 

information. 

Anthony Wilkinson of Friars 

Moor opened the conference and 

commented that the interest 

in quality food and its 

provenance is high and that 

the small ruminant sector has 

a great future. 

Data collection 

in Israel 

Dr Haim Leibovich, small 

ruminant consultant, 

described the data collection 

and management criteria for 

production in Israel. Both 

sheep and goats have synchronised 

breeding (CIDR) with pregnancy 

diagnosis. From 5-8% of animals are 

found to be empty at PD. Sheep have 

two chances to get pregnant or they are 

culled. Goats that are not mated will 

produce milk for one to two years. 

There are quotas for milk production 

which influences the management, as 

lower producing animals are kept for 

the value of the lamb. Quotas for milk 

are to be removed within two years. 

Lamb mortality is extremely important 

to the farmers and the lambs are reared 

artificially. 

Only productive animals are kept 

with “no emotional considerations”. 

Older animals are recognised to have a 

higher mortality rate of newborns. 

There is a good cull price for ewes 

and with one to 2,000 ewe units, 50% 

would be replaced each year. Routine 

computerised tracking of each animal 

is normal and there is a wide range of 

Sheep milking parlour [courtesy of DeLaval]. 

gross margin per animal from +14 to 

+115 across the range of monitored 

units. 

Newborn lambs and kids, left 

with their dams, are likely to become 

infected with cryptosporidia, coccidia 

or coliforms. Lambs separated from 

the mothers have a greater survival 

rate. 

Considerable effort goes into 

making contamination in the lambing 

areas as low as possible with clean 

bedding, disinfection, high levels of 

ventilation and burning the concrete 

floor between batches. At all stages 

cleanliness is emphasised as the lambs 

are transferred in their groups, with a 

gradual transition from milk powder to 

a whole grain diet. 

Colostrum is quality-tested and 

fed from two to six hours after birth, 

milked out at day one, pasteurised and 

frozen. Ten per cent of bodyweight 

is fed within the first 24 hours and 

colostrum feeding continues for up to 

Yoav Alony Gilboa, David Harwood, Becky and Matt Van Der Borgh, and 

Haim Leibovich. 

Mick Millar, Katherine Timms and Manuel Alejandro.

VETERINARY VP MARCH 2016 PRACTICE FEBRUARY 2016 

STARTING LIVESTOCK POINT 333 

Second referral 

three days. Free access to clean, fresh Epilepsy Society and launched last May, 

water is provided throughout. is being translated into seven different 

centre Yoav Alony Gilboa joins of Friars group Moor languages to help dogs throughout 

addressed ANDERSON the local Moores situation Veterinary with Europe. The app “maps” seizures and 

artificial Specialists, rearing. based Pointing near Winchester out that in medication requirements. 

lambs Hampshire, and humans has become share the second same Professor Holger Volk at the RVC 

temperature referral practice comfort to join zone, the Pets he assesses at says it is a powerful tool to combat the 

housing Home Vet conditions Group. by asking are you most common neurological conditions 

happy The to practice stand naked has in 25 the clinicians lambing area? and in dogs. It is currently available to 

handles Metabolic cases profiles in internal are carried medicine, out at download in English on the Google 

two soft to tissue three surgery, weeks orthopaedic before the lambing Play store and Apple iTunes App Store. 

or surgery, kidding cardiology, season. Dams neurology should and have A video of Prof. Volk discussing the 

a neurosurgery, good condition diagnostic score of imaging, 3 to 3.5 app can be viewed at https://youtu. 

prior dermatology lambing and or anaesthesia. kidding. Slight be/bZDa_8a_hwM. 

underfeeding It was founded in the in second 2006 by trimester Richard Friars Moor Consultancy team 

improves Hoile, chief lamb executive weights officer, at birth and (from 

Expansion 

left): Lucy Hepworth, 

at Essex 

Sarah 

provided Davina Anderson, third trimester who were requirements joined Eckett, Eleanor Price, Izzie Place, 

are as shareholders met. in 2009 by Andy Yoav referral Alony Gilboa service and Anthony 

Moores It is important and in 2012 to observe by David that Walker. each Wilkinson. VRCC has undergone a substantial 

lamb Together is feeding they will from retain the a automatic 25% stake in Der refurbishment, Borgh farm creating 120 Friesland endoscopy ewes 

feeder. Anderson Colostrum Moores, feeding which will is “so continue very on suite 200 which acres will in Sussex. be overseen Health-assured by 

important” to operate as combined a stand-alone with business three tups internal are medicine obtained from specialist Germany, Alice the 

management within the group. supports of metabolic flock Tamborini, lambs and in March/April has launched and a pain the 

profiles, ration analysis and body ewes management produce clinic 1.5 litres under per Fabio day for Cilli, 200 

condition Epilepsy scoring. app in days. who is residency-trained in veterinary 

David Harwood, consultant and anaesthesia Frozen Pasteurised and analgesia. sheep The milk is 

chairman seven of the languages 

Goat Veterinary purchased Essex-based online referral by the practice wealthy has well also 

Society, THE Pet emphasised Epilepsy Tracker, the need developed for and launched couriered a new overnight. website (www.vrcc. Bagged raw 

producers by the RVC to in vaccinate collaboration for clostridia. with the milk co.uk), is supplied has joined to RSA’s cheese preferred makers 

This bacterium leads to “unpredictable and various flavours of ice cream are 

disease”, produces toxin, has been offered at a farmers’ market. 

recorded The for RCVS over a century v. John and is Davies: Customers an are encouraged update to visit 

found IN the widely last in issue the there environment. was a report (page the 43) farm. that the The RCVS aim is had to provide incurred an a 

Treatment legal bill of of £40,000 clinical in cases its High is Court dispute artisan with product John of Davies. the highest quality 

generally Of this, not the successful. judge ordered Goats Mr have Davies that to pay retains £13,000, its value mainly and because is consistent. he 

poor declined immunity to accept following the College’s vaccination out of court Supply offer is shared which with would other have artisans made a 

and full require court a hearing booster unnecessary. every six months. Mr Davies to says provide that an part all-year-round of the reason service for his 

Vaccination refusal was against that he enterotoxaemia 

didn’t believe the offer (www.sheepdairy.co.uk). 

had been made in good faith. 

and tetanus He has (four since in written one antigens) to all members is of the Mick RCVS Millar Council, (University individually, of Bristol) 

required asking for them all stock, consider including whether, rams in what offered are very a comprehensive unusual circumstances, review of 

and they bucks. can A in combined good conscience clostridia allow and the RCVS sheep to and implement goat diseases. this costs Utilising order an (it 

Pasteurella is optional). product If they is fine did not for sheep allow it, the ongoing electronic legal voting dispute system, – which delegates is now 

but only goat about herds costs require – would, a separate he says, end immediately. were asked questions with one or 

Pasteurella He had vaccine. not had an answer to his question more as correct this issue answers. went to Generally press the 

Strategic and says he vaccination is now seeking at six to leave two to appeal responses against the were costs correct order. with He various says 

weeks that before he is also lambing awaiting is worthwhile. an answer to his request clues given for the out RCVS with the Council slides and to 

Lack investigate of efficacy his with complaints vaccines about in sheep the Department video clips. of Professional Conduct 

and for goats what needs he calls to be “recurrent reported failures to the to properly The overall investigate summary his complaints included: and 

Veterinary unnecessary Medicines expenditure Directorate, on external as lawyers”, don’t co-graze allied to sheep which or he goats alleges with the 

a suspected use of aggressive adverse reaction legal tactics includes which he considers cattle, keep amount kids and to bullying. lambs away from 

lack of efficacy. 

infected adults, do not pool colostrum, 

keep animals clean and specifically 

Veterinary Practice (ISSN: 0042-4897) is an 

Advice not to trim 

target disease control measures at 

independent monthly publication for members of 

sheep’s hooves 

the veterinary young profession animals in for the the UK. first It is 30 free days. to 

Margit Groenevelt (Netherlands veterinary The surgeons prevalence in practice. of production-limiting 

It is available on 

Veterinary Practice) highlighted that subscription: diseases UK is is £40 available per year, from Europe VIDA is £90 but 

Follow: vpeditor 

the sheep is a grazing animal and the per year and more the information rest of the world on small is £120 ruminant per year. 

goat browses, Editorial with and a design: different hoof Advertising dairy incidence enquiries: would be welcomed. 

conformation. Editor: David Current Ritchie advice is not to David DeLaval Kimberley International was principal 

trim hooves BA, HonAssocRCVS as this risks introducing (davidk@veterinary-practice.com) 

sponsor of the event and brought 

disease (editor@veterinary-practice.com) 

the healthy foot. 

Telephone a section of 07961 a goat/sheep 086856 milking 

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© VP Publishing Ltd (2016): no part of this publication may be reproduced in any 

Matt, form chairman (except for of review the British purposes) Sheep without Health) the express described permission the use of the of editor. Regulin 

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of pet 

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34 CONSERVATION VP MARCH 2016 

Horse manure: the new secret weapon 

in cetacean conservation research 

PARTLY DUE TO PHYSIO- 

LOGICAL ADAPTATIONS that 

enable it to maintain a relatively high 

body temperature, the porbeagle shark 

is fast and highly active. 

Although very few attacks on 

humans have been recorded, this agile 

predator normally grows to just over 

eight feet and 

135kg (298lb); ANDREW KNIGHT 

however, a 

10ft/550lb 

creature was 

caught off 

Cornwall 

in 2012 

(McGinnes, 

2012). 

Although 

these magnificent creatures are rapidly 

disappearing from the world’s oceans, 

I would nevertheless be far more likely 

to flee from, rather than towards, a 

porbeagle shark, were I to encounter 

one whilst swimming in British waters. 

(Admittedly this is unlikely in the 

extreme, but perhaps one rare day 

it may be truly warm here – as an 

Australian I must keep hope alive). 

Accordingly, I am deeply impressed 

by the courage of those who 

deliberately seek such close encounters. 

By capturing, releasing (and even – 

prior to budget cuts – tagging) such 

Minke whale exhibiting injuries 

consistent with a chronic 

entanglement [photo courtesy of 

Cetacean Strandings Investigation 

Programme and Scottish 

Agricultural College]. 

creatures, the Centre for Environment 

Fisheries and Aquaculture and 

members of the fishing industry have 

been able to compile accurate reports 

on our critically endangered porbeagle 

population and their migration 

patterns. 

At a workshop hosted at the Natural 

History 

Museum 

(NHM) in 

London in 

summer 2015, 

Rebecca Lyal 

was one of 

those who 

had a chance 

to see one of 

the last funded 

dissections of a by-caught porbeagle 

shark. 

Although since 2014 she has served 

as a cetacean stranding support officer 

within the Life Sciences Department 

at the NHM, Rebecca previously 

volunteered within the vertebrates 

division for over five years, and has a 

long-standing interest in fish. 

is impressed by work 

at the Natural History 

Museum in London 

and learns about the 

research currently being conducted 

to help us better understand the 

causes of cetacean deaths 

Deeply engrossed 

When I met her recently at the NHM, 

Rebecca was deeply engrossed in yet 

another fascinating project – namely, 

investigating the use of horse manure 

and sawdust to remove the soft tissues 

from the skull of a deceased pygmy 

sperm whale (Kogia breviceps). 

Apparently, the bacteria so abundant 

within horse manure are excellent at 

removing the soft tissues, and even the 

oils that exude from the bones of this 

species. After just a few short months 

bathed in horse manure, the skull is 

revealed in all its glory! 

The point, apparently, is to enable 

study of the skull. Despite ludicrous 

claims of “scientific research” 

underpinning Japan’s commercial 

whaling programme, the number of 

large cetaceans studied to date has not 

been great, and so deceased, stranded 

cetaceans are of scientific interest. 

Indeed, Rebecca would like to be able 

to preserve entire cadavers. 

The NHM freezer space, while 

substantial, is not unlimited and 

decomposing whales can make one 

quite unpopular with one’s work 

colleagues. Think “odour of dog 

cadaver” multiplied about 30 times for 

Andrew Knight, BSc(Vet Biol), BVMS, MANZCVS, DipECAWBM 

(AWSEL), DACAW, PhD, MRCVS, SFHEA, a European and American 

veterinary specialist in animal welfare, is a professor of Animal 

Welfare and Ethics and director of the Centre for Animal Welfare at 

the University of Winchester. He publishes regularly on animal issues 

within both academic and popular media. 

a medium-sized whale. Hence the need 

to remove the soft tissues. I wondered 

how much horse manure the NHM 

needed on a monthly basis. 

Such highly unusual tasks appear 

to be all in a day’s work for an NHM 

cetacean stranding support officer. 

And, I suspected, for many of the 300 

other life scientists Rebecca works 

with, given the amazing array of 

dinosaurs and other unusual animals all 

around her. 

Rebecca works for the UK Cetacean 

Strandings Investigation Programme, 

which co-ordinates the investigation 

of whales, dolphins, porpoises, marine 

turtles and even basking sharks that 

dead strand around the UK. Around 

400 to 600 cases are reported annually 

and Rebecca has collected over 20 such 

cetaceans for necropsy since 2014. 

If animals are still alive at the 

time of stranding, the British Divers 

Marine Life Rescue volunteer network 

may attempt to refloat the animal, if 

survival chances appear reasonable. 

Unfortunately, the damage and 

stress associated with a stranding 

can often so compromise a cetacean 

that euthanasia becomes necessary. 

Which, particularly in the case of larger 

animals, presents another unique set 

of challenges, such as vein accessibility, 

drug volumes, operator safety and 

cadaver disposal (AVMA, 2013). 

When cetaceans die, beach-goers 

report sightings, and local councils or 

veterinary practices may be called on to 

recover the body away from the hightide 

mark and, ideally, into a freezer/ 

cold room until collection. 

Causes of death 

Apart from study of the species 

involved, the main purpose of 

collection and necropsy is to 

determine the likely cause of death. 

Organs are systematically examined 

and tissues sampled for virological, 

microbiological, histopathological, 

toxicological and other studies. 

The most common causes of 

reported cetacean deaths between 1991 

and 2010 were by-catch, infectious 

disease, live stranding, starvation and 

bottlenose dolphin attack (Deaville and 

Jepson, nd). The pattern from 2010 to 

2014 has been similar. Around 50% of 

UK reports originate from England, 

and the majority concern harbour 

porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). 

Sadly, far too many cetaceans are 

unintentionally entangled in fishing 

gear. Survival depends on species, 

the degree of entanglement, and the 

presence or absence of any cetacean 

excluder mechanisms. 

Rebecca Lyal with her pygmy sperm 

whale skull, sans horse manure. 

Many others starve, as we continue 

to rapidly deplete the ocean’s 

fisheries. Gear that is lost overboard 

or discarded by fishing vessels still 

causes entanglement (known as “ghost 

fishing”), continuing to kill cetaceans 

and fish alike. 

It was inspiring to meet Rebecca and 

learn about the fascinating research she 

conducts to help us better understand 

the causes of cetacean deaths. It was, 

however, depressing to learn once 

more of the grave consequences for 

the other remarkable creatures we 

share our world with, that result from 

our seemingly insatiable desire for 

overconsumption – in this case, of 

seafood. 

Acknowledgement 

I’m grateful for the assistance of 

Rebecca Lyal during the preparation of 

this article. 

References 

American Veterinary Medical 

Association (AVMA). (2013). AVMA 

Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals: 

2013 Edition. Schaumburg, IL, US: 

AVMA. 

Deaville, R. and Jepson, P. D. et 

al (nd) UK Cetacean Stranding 

Investigation Programme: Final Report 

for the Period 1st January 2005-31st 

December 2010. http://randd.defra. 

gov.uk/Document.aspx?Docume 

nt=FinalCSIPReport2005-2010_ 

finalversion061211released[1].pdf, 

accessed 21st Nov. 2015. 

McGinnes, J. (2012) “We’re going to 

need a bigger boat”: two fishermen 

reel in largest shark ever caught in 

British waters. Mail Online: www. 

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2152037/ 

UKs-biggest-landed-shark-caught-2- 

fishermen-reel-largest-shark-caught- 

British-waters.html#ixzz3s8shKOny, 

accessed 21st Nov. 2015.

VP MARCH 2016 ON THE ROAD 35 

Can Renault’s latest capture the market? 

THE RENAULT CAPTUR 

IS A POPULAR COMPACT 

CROSSOVER five-door, appealing 

to buyers who want something more 

stylish and practical than a regular 

supermini such as a Renault Clio but 

don’t need the extra size of something 

like a Renault Kadjar – or indeed the 

extra cost of such larger crossovers. 

The Captur 

ROBBIE TIFFIN 

competes with 

the trend-setting 

Nissan Juke, 

Peugeot 2008 

and Vauxhall 

Mokka in the 

small crossover 

sector. It was 

introduced in 

AT A GLANCE 

Model tested: Renault Captur 

TCe 90 Dynamique Nav 

On the road price: £15,395 

Power output: 90bhp 

0-62mph: 13.0 seconds 

Top speed: 107mph 

Fuel consumption: 55.4mpg 

(combined) 

Rating: 3.5/5 

reviews the 

Captur, a keenly 

priced car which 

has tough, goanywhere 

looks but which 

lacks the excitement factor 

2013 as a bigger sibling to the Clio, and 

Renault’s well-judged strategy is clearly 

working well in showrooms given the 

number of Capturs you now see on 

Britain’s roads. 

The Captur is actually directly 

derived from the popular Renault 

Clio supermini, but is larger all round, 

particularly in length and height. These 

extra dimensions make it appreciably 

bigger inside, both for passengers and 

their luggage; if a Clio’s too small for 

family car duties, the Captur may just 

fit the bill. 

While the Captur has tough, goanywhere 

looks, it’s strictly a twowheel-drive 

road car. Renault wisely 

recognised that most crossover drivers 

rarely venture off-road and decided 

against offering four-wheel drive 

with the Captur, even as an option. 

This means the Captur has similar 

running costs as well as mechanical 

components to the Renault Clio, 

keeping the purchase price down. 

There’s only one five-door body style 

on offer, and Renault also keeps the 

choice of trims and engines down to 

four apiece, which should make things 

fairly simple in showrooms. 

The trim line comprises 

Expression+, Dynamic Nav, Dynamic 

S Nav and Signature Nav. All are wellequipped: 

indeed, every car apart from 

the base model comes with standard 

built-in sat-nav, a real standout in this 

sector. All trim options also share the 

same stylish looks so you won’t feel too 

hard done by if you choose the basic 

model. However, for those wishing 

to make their car bespoke, there is a 

huge array of optional customisation 

options. 

All engines are turbocharged; 0.9 and 

1.2 TCe petrols sit alongside Renault’s 

familiar 1.5 dCi in 90 and 110 guise. 

Renault offers an optional EDC dual 

clutch automatic – the 1.5 dCi 90, and 

it’s standard on the 1.2 TCe. 

While the car is safe, comfortable 

and reasonably 

refined, it is 

unfortunately 

fairly bland 

from a driving 

perspective. 

There is very 

little excitement 

on offer from 

any of the 

engine configurations or suspension 

set-ups. Still, if you go into it knowing 

that, it’s not too bad. While the engines 

look a bit meek – the most powerful 

petrol turbo only has 119bhp and does 

0-62mph in a leisurely 10.5 seconds – 

in reality they’re perfectly acceptable 

and can easily keep up with modern 

day driving demands. 

My view is 

that the 1.5 dCi 

diesel engine 

probably suits 

this car better. 

It has more 

torque to power 

it along and the 

leisurely nature 

is in keeping 

with that safe 

and comfortable demeanour. 

On the plus side, the small engines 

and relatively low weight mean ultralow 

running costs for the Captur. It is 

a genuinely inexpensive car to run and 

it’s also pretty cheap to buy, kicking off 

at a little bit less than a basic family car 

like a Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus. 

It’s quite keenly priced compared to 

its rivals, too, coming in at about the 

same as the Fiat 500X, Peugeot 2008 

and Nissan Juke, but less than the 

Vauxhall Mokka. Prices for the Citroen 

C4 Cactus do start slightly lower, but 

the Dacia Duster is the cheapest of 

them all – yet it doesn’t come with 

anywhere near the same amount of 

standard equipment. 

The 1.5-litre dCi 90 diesel Captur is 

the most economical model and can 

return fuel economy of up to 78.5mpg, 

while CO2 emissions of 95g/km mean 

it’s exempt from road tax. Renault has 

given all Capturs an “Eco” button on 

the dashboard, which limits engine 

power and increases fuel economy by 

up to 10%. The more powerful version 

of the 1.5-litre diesel engine is almost 

as economical, but costs more to buy. 

Even the thirstiest model – the 

1.2-litre TCe automatic EDC petrol – 

manages to return a healthy 51.4mpg 

and emits 125g/km of CO2 for road 

tax of £110 a year. The other petrol is 

the turbocharged 0.9-litre TCe that’s 

capable of 56.5mpg and produces CO2 

emissions of 114g/km for road tax of 

£30 a year. 

An added benefit is that all Renaults 

now come with a four-year/100,000- 

mile warranty. You’ll find similar deals 

to this on rival models, but Renault’s 

warranty is actually very generous in 

comparison 

There is very little 

excitement on offer 

from any of the engine 

configurations or 

suspension set-ups. Still, 

if you go into it knowing 

that, it’s not too bad. 

given the 

level of cover 

on offer. In 

addition, 

cars bought 

with Renault 

Finance 

include the 

Renault 4+ 

package. 

That gives you four years’ roadside 

assistance and four years’ servicing 

included. 

With regards to insurance costs, 

because all Renault Capturs share the 

same stylish appearance, including 

standard body-colour bumpers and 

smart alloy wheels, the range doesn’t 

have a spartan entry-level trim to 

provide a headline-grabbing low 

insurance group. This shouldn’t worry 

buyers too much though, as the flipside 

of this is the fact that key engine and 

trim lines all share the same insurance 

group ratings. 

For example, the high-volume 0.9 

TCe 90 comes in at group 9 insurance 

no matter which trim you choose, while 

the 1.5 dCi 90 slots into group 11E 

for both Expression+ and Dynamique 

Nav lines. It’s probably the best choice 

for those to whom insurance costs 

are a top priority. Further up the band 

system, the 1.5 dCi 110 jumps to group 

15 for every trim line it’s offered in. 

Overall, the Captur is one of the 

most practical supermini-based 

crossovers on the market. It has a 

big boot that beats the Ford Focus’ 

capacity, while its high roof means 

there’s plenty of headroom inside the 

cabin. 

The Captur also has an excellent 

boot. With the seats up, it is a 

voluminous 377 litres, which compares 

very well with the 380 litres offered 

by a Volkswagen Golf. By way of 

comparison, a Renault Clio offers just 

300 litres and a Ford Fiesta only 295. 

It has to be said that the Captur 

isn’t the most exciting car to drive and 

there’s certainly no Renaultsport-like 

enthusiasm to the dynamics. However, 

it is refined, smooth and easy, suiting 

its positioning as an upmarket 

supermini alternative well, and making 

it a truly viable grown-up competitor 

to more mainstream family hatchbacks.

The Management Pages 

Campbell’s recipe for success 

A CLEAR STRATEGY, 

LEADERSHIP AND TEAMWORK 

are the essentials of a successful 

enterprise, whether that is running a 

veterinary practice or the private office 

of the most successful Labour Prime 

Minister in history, attendees at the 

SPVS-VPMA congress were told. 

Alastair Campbell, the son of a 

Yorkshire veterinary surgeon and the 

communications director for former 

premier Tony Blair, was the opening 

speaker at the meeting of veterinary 

practice owners and managers in 

Newport on 29th and 30th January. 

Having helped organise the Blair 

government’s trio of general election 

victories, Campbell retired from 

politics and earns a living as an author 

and motivational speaker. His books 

include Winners, an analysis of the 

reasons for the success of noted 

figures from sport, politics and other 

areas of public life. “But being a 

winner is not about trophies or titles, it 

is about a mind-set. It is about setting 

yourself objectives and trying to meet 

them. They can be anything – running 

a marathon, losing weight or writing a 

book,” he said. 

While those attending the meeting 

were responsible for providing the 

strategy and leadership for their 

business, Mr Campbell highlighted the 

importance of colleagues back at the 

practice in providing the teamwork that 

is the third key element. 

He recalled that during the election 

campaigns of 1997, 2001 and 2005, his 

first concern had been to ensure the 

happiness of the group of bus drivers 

who were responsible for transporting 

the Labour entourage and media 

to events around the country. The 

schedule would often change at short 

notice and so it was essential to ensure 

their drivers’ co-operation. 

“They were not going to get 

out of bed with the same 

zeal if they did not feel part 

of what’s going on.” 

He acknowledged that 

a breakdown in teamwork 

had been one of the main 

reasons for the failure 

of the Labour party to 

secure a fourth term, due 

to the strained leadership 

between Blair and his 

chancellor Gordon Brown. 

He maintained that the employer’s 

colleague and eventual successor had 

been both brilliant and impossible to 

work with. 

But in politics, unlike sport, it may 

be impossible to sack a resentful 

teammate because they have to stay 

on the pitch, he said. He advised his 

audience to make sure that succession 

planning in their own business is better 

organised than that for the end of 

Tony Blair’s period as Labour leader or 

that of Sir Alex Ferguson, the former 

manager of Manchester United and 

one of the “winners” interviewed for 

his book. 

One of the characteristics of 

successful leaders like Sir Alex has 

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VP MARCH 2016 BUSINESS & FINANCE 37 

Addressing the gender imbalance 

WOMEN NOW MAKE UP MORE 

THAN HALF the population of practising 

vets in the UK – so is it still appropriate to 

be discussing the shifting gender balance as a 

challenge for the profession? 

Veterinary practice management consultant 

Sarah Page-Jones thinks not and considers the 

implication that women vets present a problem 

for their male colleagues a little insulting. “I 

wish people would stop talking about the 

feminisation issue – we are not an issue, we are 

Sarah Page-Jones. 

vets,” she said. 

Nonetheless, she does believe there is a concern over lack of representation 

at the highest levels of veterinary businesses for the estimated 57% of the 

practising arm, and around 75% of veterinary undergraduates. 

Speaking in a session on Leadership and Gender, she pointed out that only 

about 12% of vets at the owner, director or partner level are women. So she 

argued the need for measures that will encourage women to develop a greater 

role in managing the businesses where they currently work in disproportionate 

numbers as assistants. 

Part of this problem is due to societal attitudes to what leadership means – 

the term is traditionally associated with character traits such as decisiveness, 

independence and reluctance to compromise that are generally regarded as the 

preserve of alpha male-type personalities. So women suffer when they take 

on those supposedly masculine attributes if they become leaders in a business 

or if they choose to remain cautious, collegiate and flexible – and are then 

regarded as unsuited for the role. 

“You are seen either as a bitch or a bimbo – there is nothing in between,” 

she said. She challenged the assumption that there is only one effective 

leadership style. Women will often excel at the social skills – team building, 

understanding the views of others and working collaboratively, which are 

equally important aspects of a successful management team. 

Indeed, she suggested that a hyper-aggressive masculine approach to 

leadership may be counterproductive if, for example, it leads to a manager 

deliberately creating a crisis in order to demonstrate his ability to rescue the 

situation. 

Holding back progress 

A factor that is certainly holding back the progress of women into senior 

management roles is that the leaders will often be responsible for choosing 

their successor and a traditional male leader will usually pick someone who 

appears to show the same qualities that he had as a younger man. 

Incidents of overt discrimination against women when applying for senior 

positions are probably rare these days, Ms Page-Jones suggested. However, 

ambitious women should be aware of the existence of “second generation” 

biases – more subtle and usually unstated attitudes towards what women can 

and cannot do. 

It is necessary for women vets to recognise when these barriers are put up 

against them and be prepared to challenge those male, and sometimes female, 

colleagues who hold such views, she said. 

Leadership skills may not come naturally to most men and women but there 

is training available to help nurture these abilities. Such gender-neutral training 

is likely to benefit both male and female students although there is evidence 

that women will develop much stronger leadership skills if they receive that 

training in single-sex groups, she suggested. 

Lt Col Neil Smith, a past president of the RCVS, was one of the few male 

veterinarians attending the session. He wondered if offering special training 

for female practitioners might help to perpetuate the gender stereotypes 

that Ms Page-Jones was trying to break down. He also wondered whether it 

was a sign of impatience to be worried about the progress of women into 

management roles in practice when the change in gender balance within the 

profession has been such a recent and rapid phenomenon. 

There could be no similar concerns about lack of representation for 

women in the leading veterinary organisations when 10 of the 19 candidates 

for election to RCVS Council in 2014 were females and the six successful 

candidates were an equal mix of men and women, he suggested. 

Nevertheless, the veterinary profession still has work to do in addressing 

equality issues. It was important to encourage a more diverse profession that is 

no longer so heavily dominated by white, middle-class and privately-educated 

graduates, he said. 

Being mindful of 

mental health matters 

MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS 

HAVE BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED 

AS A PARTICULAR RISK for the 

veterinary profession, which has made 

huge advances in helping colleagues 

who struggle to cope. 

But is enough effort put into tackling 

the underlying causes of these issues 

and – after a successful recovery 

– could patients find their careers 

blighted by the stigma that still attaches 

to mental illness? This is what speakers 

at a panel discussion were asked. 

Alastair Campbell, former “spin 

doctor” for the Blair government and 

now a mental health advocate, joined 

two veterinarians willing to share 

experiences of dealing with their own 

personal crises for the debate. 

This came a year after the launch 

of the RCVS’s Mind Matters project 

– one of many initiatives intended 

to address the veterinary profession’s 

dreadful record on suicide and severe 

psychiatric disorders. 

Mr Campbell felt that improved 

prospects for those suffering mental 

illness reflected changing attitudes in 

the wider society rather than top-down 

initiatives: “We never know where this 

change comes from but it’s not from 

government,” he said. “Legislation 

doesn’t lead changes in attitude like 

those we have seen to gender equality 

or smoking. Often it reflects it.” 

Mr Campbell insisted that being able 

to deal with a breakdown caused by 

stress and alcohol addiction was the 

“best thing that has ever happened to 

me” and has helped him to become a 

better person. But he acknowledged 

Campbell’s recipe for suucess – continued 

been their ability to pick the right team 

and be prepared to test players out in 

unfamiliar roles. Mr Campbell, whose 

own struggles with mental health issues 

have been well documented, believed 

that managers should also be willing 

to place their faith in colleagues with 

unconventional ideas. 

He offered a lengthy list of hugely 

successful people like Winston 

Churchill, Marie Curie, Charles 

Darwin and Florence Nightingale 

who all suffered from mental health 

“problems” like depression or 

obsessive personalities. 

Another distinguishing trait of many 

of the successful people discussed 

in the book was their perfectionism 

which drives a quest for constant 

improvements in their performance. 

Mr Campbell recalled his conversation 

with the Romanian gymnast Nadia 

Comaneci who achieved the first 

perfect 10 from the judges at the 

Montreal Olympics in 1976. 

that he was in a fortunate position 

and many people dealing with similar 

problems would have to keep them 

hidden for fear of losing their job. 

Veterinary surgeons may be 

especially reluctant to acknowledge 

that they are no longer coping with 

their problems because of their 

self-appointed role as the solvers of 

problems for others, suggested Richard 

Hillman, founder of a successful 

Midlands practice and former president 

of SPVS. 

He described his experiences of a 

breakdown two years ago caused by 

overwork and the financial pressures of 

managing a business. He explained the 

treatment that helped him overcome 

those problems. Yet he acknowledged 

that he, like managers of any business, 

may think twice about recruiting 

someone who was candid about having 

had mental health problems. 

He suggested that loneliness is a 

major factor in the aetiology of such 

disorders and may particularly afflict 

those at the beginning of their careers 

as well as those with senior managerial 

responsibilities. 

Heather Niman, a young graduate 

continued overleaf 

Alastair Campbell, Amy Martin and 

Heather Niman. 

Ms Comaneci did not believe she 

could have achieved perfection in 

her routine on the asymmetric bars, 

insisting that she had done better in 

training before the event. “It was her 

own belief that there is always room 

for improvement – whatever the 

judges say – that drove her on to more 

Olympic gold four years later,” he 

explains in the book. 

Another trait essential to success 

in any field of activity, Mr Campbell 

argued, is the capacity for reflecting on 

one’s own performance and learning 

from any mistakes. One of the less 

well-known figures interviewed for 

the book was the Irishman Colm 

O’Connell, a Roman Catholic 

missionary and school teacher in 

Kenya who was drafted in as coach of 

that country’s hugely successful team 

of middle and long distance athletes. 

“The winner is the loser who 

evaluates himself correctly,” O’Connell 

told him.

38 BUSINESS & FINANCE VP MARCH 2016 

who experienced a breakdown under 

the pressures of her first job in 

practice, agreed with that analysis. 

She is now fully recovered from her 

experiences, has returned to work in a 

different branch of the profession and 

provides advice and training for others 

in dealing with such problems through 

a national network of “recovery 

colleges”. 

Ms Niman felt that physical and 

emotional isolation was a major cause 

of her problems, after taking a job in a 

farm practice far away from her friends 

and family. But she also acknowledged 

that a willingness to take on extra work 

and her reluctance to seek help had 

exacerbated that situation. 

She warned professional colleagues 

that it may be difficult to identify when 

a crisis is imminent. Those suffering 

from work-related stress may lose 

interest in all those outside activities 

that support good mental health but 

competence in their professional duties 

may be the last thing to go, she said. 

Rory O’Connor, co-ordinator of the 

Veterinary Benevolent Fund’s mental 

health programme, argued that despite 

all good intentions, this area still 

lacks support under the NHS system. 

Hospital accident and emergency 

departments are obliged by law to see 

any patient with a medical emergency 

within four hours, or risk financial 

penalties. Yet patients in some parts 

of the country could be waiting 18 

months before receiving a consultation 

under the so-called Improving Access 

to Psychiatric Therapies initiative, he 

said. 

In those circumstances, any progress 

that the veterinary profession can make 

to help provide better care for its own 

members will be likely to produce 

dividends. 

Amy Martin, practice manager 

of a hospital practice in Yorkshire, 

explained how her clinic has met 

the challenge of monitoring and 

supporting the mental health of its 

own staff. She emphasised that there 

was no need for those efforts to be 

particularly intrusive – “most people 

can solve their own problems”, she 

said. But senior staff and indeed all 

those employed in the business have 

a duty to keep an eye out for those 

colleagues who may be facing excessive 

work-related stress. 

Making sure that all staff enjoy fair 

and equitable time off is essential if 

they are to enjoy their working lives, 

she suggested. So managers must 

ensure that rotas are organised well in 

advance and staff notified early when 

there are likely to be any changes. 

She also emphasised the importance 

of safeguarding team spirit by ensuring 

that staff are kept informed of issues 

affecting the financial performance of 

the practice. It was equally important 

to share clinical information – there are 

regular weekly meetings at her practice 

where colleagues discuss the cases seen 

over the past week. This promotes a 

team ethic, helps improve the approach 

to dealing with particular cases and 

reassures junior staff that they are 

doing the right thing. 

“Yes, it is difficult in a busy practice 

to bring everybody together, but if you 

make time then it will happen – and it 

does work,” she said. 

New presidents inaugurated 

THE presidents of both the SPVS and the VPMA changed during the 

recent congress. 

• SPVS. Stephanie Writer-Davies, founder 

and director of Mimram Veterinary Centre in 

Welwyn, Herts., is the new president of the SPVS, 

succeeding Nick Stuart. Steph qualified from Bristol 

in July 1984 and having spent four years in mixed 

practices in Yorkshire and Oxfordshire, moved to 

London in 1988 to concentrate on small animal 

practice. She spent seven years in a busy practice 

in North Harrow before moving to Hertfordshire 

in 1995, working in Hatfield for three years and 

then deciding to take the plunge and start her own 

practice. For the past few years she has been SPVS 

editor of Practice Life, the joint magazine of SPVS and the VPMA. 

• VPMA. Renay Rickard, practice manager at Kernow Vet Group in Cornwall, 

is the new VPMA president, taking over from 

Howard Brown. Renay, who manages 90 staff across 

four sites, has been a long-standing member of the 

association and a board member for the past three 

years, overseeing the regional groups. She joined 

the Kernow practice in 1985 from school as a YTS 

trainee and after becoming the first veterinary nurse 

to be trained by the practice (qualifying in 1989) was 

employed as head nurse until 2004 when promoted 

to the role of practice manager. Renay recently 

studied for a Diploma in Management and is the 

first holder in Cornwall of the CVPM. 

Gathering data on the death toll 

HOW MANY PATIENTS HAVE YOU 

KILLED THIS YEAR? Veterinary surgeons 

can probably look back through the practice 

records and calculate how many animals they 

have euthanased over a given period. But they 

simply don’t know how many healthy patients 

died as a result of mistakes by themselves or a 

member of the clinical team, the audience at the 

SPVS-VPMA congress in Newport was told. 

UK veterinary practice lags far behind the 

NHS system in its ability to monitor medical 

Catherine Oxtoby. 

mishaps but the latter’s record is far from perfect. 

It took a series of incidents like the Bristol heart scandal in the 1990s for 

human medics to adopt safety practices used routinely for many years in 

industries like aviation where human error could have equally catastrophic 

consequences, according to veterinary researcher Catherine Oxtoby. 

Catherine is a postgraduate student at the Nottingham vet school where she 

should complete her PhD later this year on patient safety in veterinary practice. 

At a session examining the similarities and differences between the care 

provided in the human and veterinary healthcare system, she warned that 

mistakes were major causes of mortality and morbidity in both. 

A 1999 study by the US Institute of Medicine estimated that significant 

errors occur during one in 10 appointments at human hospitals in that 

country, leading to 98,000 premature deaths. That makes medical mistakes the 

third biggest cause of mortality in the US after heart disease and cancer. No 

equivalent studies have been carried out in the medical or veterinary field in 

Britain, although it is probable that medical error is a major cause of death, 

injury and economic losses in the UK as well. Those studies that have been 

carried invariably point to human error as the main cause of mistakes in a 

patient’s treatment in 80 to 90% of cases. Often that drills down to failures in 

communication between different members of the clinical team. 

Unless the veterinary profession chooses to address the underlying causes, 

there is likely to be an increase in the number of mistakes, Mrs Oxtoby 

suggested. That is because of changing work patterns in the veterinary 

sector, with the growth in the number of part-time clinical staff and more 

complicated rotas. “That will mean increasing numbers of hand-overs between 

different clinical teams and each one of those is a communication error trap,” 

she said. 

In every event like the Bristol scandal, two factors have been identified 

which tend to increase the risk of errors by medical staff: poor leadership and 

lax attitudes towards patient safety. Leadership is a skill that can be developed 

with training and the profession should examine what it can do to provide 

appropriate coaching, she said. 

Gathering data on the quality of treatment given and the circumstances 

surrounding medical mistakes is another priority. Better information is central 

to any efforts to raise standards: “Without it you don’t know where you are, 

you don’t know where you are going, and you don’t know when you have 

reached your destination.” 

However, when investigating clinical problems it would be a mistake to put 

the emphasis on ascribing blame. Mrs Oxtoby pointed out that mistakes are 

usually caused by a combination of human and system error and “by focusing 

on the individual, we can miss the opportunity to prevent the same thing 

happening again to others”, she said. One strategy used successfully to avoid 

the risk of human error is to introduce checklists of actions that need to be 

carried out by staff performing particular tasks, like surgery. 

This approach has long been a feature of working practices in areas like the 

nuclear industry and is now becoming more widely used in the medical field. 

In some hospitals the use of checklists has been shown to reduce the risk of 

mortality and morbidity by 50%, she said. “At the very least, a checklist can 

serve as a useful aide-memoire but it can also be a sensible way to promote better 

teamwork and allow junior staff to speak up if they see errors being made.”

VP MARCH 2016 LAST WORDS 39 

Terms and conditions 

“Honesty,” said Benjamin Franklin, “is the best policy.” But 

he was surely not thinking of veterinary practice when he 

said it. Not, I should perhaps quickly add, am I suggesting 

for one minute that vets are dishonest in their business 

dealings or with their clients; indeed the profession has 

always been known for its integrity, and if you haven’t 

heard it before, it’s worth repeating the notion that “to 

vet” something (or someone) is to check it (or them) out 

soundly, whereas “to doctor” something is to fiddle things 

unscrupulously, and you may wish to ponder on how each 

verb came to have its meaning. 

Why am I telling you this? Simply because the latest 

management talk I went to included the recommendation 

that all vets should give new clients a handout setting out 

their standard terms and conditions for doing business, and 

it goes without saying that we need to be absolutely honest 

when defining how vets and clients should behave towards 

one another. 

Of course our profession 

is not alone in this; indeed, 

my accountant is assiduous in 

ensuring that every time we meet up I get a copy of what he 

calls his “T&Cs”. It’s a fairly weighty document printed in 

small font and with minimal line spacing, and will never win 

any prizes from the Plain English Campaign, but if nothing 

else I can guarantee that when insomnia strikes at night this 

is a remedy that never fails: I simply open it at page one and 

before reaching clause 51 on page three a deep sleep has 

engulfed me. 

Now, currently doing the rounds of veterinary social 

networking sites is a posting suggesting that we put up 

notices in our reception area saying things like “Verbal 

abuse is always appreciated. If possible, wait till the waiting room 

is full. Please be creative in your profanity, we all like to expand 

our vocabulary” and “don’t put your dog on a leash or your cat in a 

carrier; let them loose as soon as you walk in because the staff enjoy a 

little pandemonium”. 

Sarcasm is, of course, not the highest form of wit, but 

we can identify with the situations that generate the above 

statements, and we’ve all had to bite our tongue at times 

because a client is behaving in a way that is designed to 

exasperate even the most saintly of people. So coming 

back to the idea of practice T&Cs, I’m quite tempted to 

skip quickly over the mundane stuff and insert some really 

strongly-worded clauses to give my clients guidance as to 

what my staff and I expect from them. Let me share a few 

suggestions with you. 

• Always make an appointment before coming down to the 

surgery, but the scheduled time is just a suggestion; feel free 

to ignore it and arrive when you wish. If you’re not going to 

show up, don’t tell us; a little suspense enlivens our day, and 

in fact it gives us the option of running bets on whether you 

will turn up or not. 

• We really like small children and would encourage you to 

The Obiterdictum column 

Practice opens ‘pet 

pampering’ parlour 

YOURVETS, based in Dagenham, Essex, opened its new “pet 

pampering salon”, Mi Groomers, recently. 

Kerry Bradford (pictured), a receptionist at the practice, offered 

free pet consultations on opening day along with competitions and 

other family activities. 

Kerry said: “Mi Groomers is a brand new concept for pampered 

pets in Essex, providing the expertise of veterinary nurses and the 

luxury of qualified groomers in one wonderfully-equipped building.” 

The new salon will be open for business on Saturdays and 

Wednesdays. 

bring plenty when you come – at least four if possible, and 

if necessary borrow from your neighbours (selecting the 

worst behaved kids). Ensure they all have juice and crayons, 

and encourage them to jump on the furniture, persistently 

interrupt the vet, and rummage through the cupboards 

looking for syringes and drugs. 

• Don’t tell us if your pet has been treated elsewhere. Our 

vets like to play 20 questions to try to ascertain if this is a 

second opinion or not. If new to the area, pretend not to 

remember who your previous vet was, but give us little clues 

(“it was somewhere in London” or “I think the name began 

with an A”) as we merrily phone 20 practices to try to track 

down the relevant case notes. Calling other clinics allows 

us to catch up with colleagues and gives our under-worked 

receptionist something to do. Forgetting that the pet might 

be registered under your partner’s/mother’s/neighbour’s 

surname also helps no end. 

• Be as vague as possible when 

asked for information, although 

in fact most vets are psychic and 

can usually retrieve the necessary 

data simply by reading your brainwave patterns. 

• Never hesitate to answer your phone during a 

consultation. The more puerile and prolonged the 

conversation, the better, as we like to know what your 

domestic arrangements will be for the next two weeks. If 

you miss anything the vet says during this time, don’t worry; 

it was probably unimportant and anyway you can always ring 

the practice later and ask us to repeat everything. 

• Don’t tell us that your dog bites until after we have been 

bitten. It keeps our reflexes sharp and it’s more challenging 

to muzzle a dog once it’s really worked up. 

• Feel free to agree (in writing if you wish) to all fees, but 

when the tests and treatments are completed then, and only 

then, inform us that you’ve no money but are happy to pay 

us off at £5 a week. 

• All medications can be given as you see fit. The 

instructions on the label are simply a guide, and we certainly 

don’t expect you to finish the course. When the condition 

doesn’t resolve, don’t tell the vet that you only gave the cat 

one tablet daily instead of three and that after four days you 

didn’t give any at all. 

• Five or six years at vet school really didn’t teach us 

much, so please pass on what your breeder/friend/fatherin-law 

recommends for things such as diets, anesthesia and 

vaccinations. 

You get the idea… I don’t want my clients to do these 

things, but since they do them unasked, the perversity 

of human nature may mean that if they are instructed to 

behave as above, they will suddenly become model clients. 

If only. Just remember another of Benjamin Franklin’s 

sayings, which I am sorely tempted to display in the waiting 

room: “We’re all born ignorant, but one must work hard to 

remain stupid.” 

Behaviour day 

prior to BSAVA 

congress 

KEEP Calm and Cani on! is the 

theme for the British Veterinary 

Behaviour Association’s pre-BSAVA 

congress study day in Birmingham on 

Wednesday 6th April. 

Dr Sagi Denenburg, who recently 

joined the team of behaviour 

consultants at Langford, will discuss 

neurocircuits of fear and anxiety; Dr 

Xavier Manteca i Villanova of the 

University of Barcelona will take a 

fresh look at separation anxiety; Jon 

Bowen from the RVC will look at 

new ideas in managing noise phobic 

pets; and Steve Goward, deputy head 

of canine behaviour and training at 

Dogs Trust, will cover stress-related 

problems in dogs in rescue shelters. 

There will be a session for short 

presentation papers and a poster 

presentation area. Anyone with an 

interest in behaviour is welcome. To 

book, go to www.bvba.org.uk. 

Introduction for 

aspiring veterinary 

surgeons 

SO you want to be a vet is the title of 

a new paperback by Neil Paton, a 

lecturer in farm animal health and 

production at the RVC. Subtitled 

The realities of studying and working in 

veterinary medicine, the 230-page book is 

published by 5m Publishing and priced 

at £19.95. 

This gives very comprehensive 

coverage from how to go about getting 

into veterinary school to what to 

expect once qualified in both salary and 

career options. The lengthy summary 

(chapter 14) begins with: “Working as 

a veterinary surgeon is an incredibly 

rewarding position to find yourself 

in” and this is a book that veterinary 

surgeons can recommend to the next 

generation of those wanting to pursue 

this career path. 

What you need to 

know about cattle 

lameness 

THE third edition of Roger Blowey’s 

Cattle Lameness and Hoofcare has been 

published by 5m Publishing. The 164- 

page hardback is priced at £24.95. 

The author, an RCVS specialist in 

cattle health and production (dairy), 

has long been recognised as one of 

the UK’s foremost authorities on 

this subject and this illustrated guide 

has been updated with revised hoof 

trimming protocols, new insights on 

the structure and function of the 

digital cushion and an examination of 

diseases such as digital dermatitis and 

sole ulceration.

Join the conversation at 

facebook.com/JungleForPets 

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Order your practice materials from vetcentre.bayer.co.uk or speak to your Territory Manager. 

Use Medicines Responsibly (www.noah.co.uk/responsible). 

Reference: 1. Eliminates L4 & immature adult stages preventing establishment of adult worms in dogs; Schnyder M. et al., Vet. Parasitol. (2009); 166(3-4):326- 

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